No Love Left for Her

hool was a distant shape behind me and the sounds of sirens were a faint wail on the wind. I ducked

nes. I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to hold myself together, but the phantom p

being a better son or brother.

It was a minefield, and at

after a horrific car crash. They were old friends of hers, she' d said. They died on the ope

at the time. I was fo

s fragile, the poor orphan who needed protection. Sarah was the br

imper sent her rushing to his side. He could do no wrong. If his toy broke, it was because I had look

conflict, and arguing with Olivia was a battle he never wanted to fight. So

grieving woman trying to do right by her dead friends' son, and they

e way he would pinch me until I bruised, then run to our mother crying that I had hit him. The time

ponse was alw

ortcomings. He' s been through enough. You should

tless. In their eyes, I was the villain, and Etha

pent my first life desperately trying to earn their love, to prove I was worthy. I had tried t

e? A needle in the ne

tempts to prove my worth. I would let the events play out as they were meant

olled to my mother' s contact. I stared at her name, t

Let them blame m

t watching a tragedy I had already seen unfold. And this time