Yours Truly

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up in a haze, but still the first thought I had revolved around the letters beneath my bed.

My first thought was to read the letters. My second thought, which came quickly after the first, was a firm and final ‘no’.

I was angry with my sister right now. Did she think she could just die on me, and sixteen years later have my brother give me her parting gift? Ben didn’t even explain anything to me, I had no idea about any of this! Who did she think she could be, just waltzing back into my life in the form of ink and paper?

Why did Serena have to write those letters in the first place? I mean, what was the point? Because I sure as hell didn’t know. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out.

With a sigh of frustration, I pushed the subject of the letters far away from my brain. I was determined to forget about the letters and get on with it. They were just a digression from my end goal, which was getting out of this place.

I rolled out of bed and grabbed my iPod. I had learned quickly that if I listened to my iPod during breakfast no one would try and talk to me, saving me from awkward small talk.

I put my music on shuffle and walked downstairs. Everyone was already down there. Ally was sitting at the table in a makeshift high chair, with Melina next to her, trying to get her to eat her breakfast. I smiled silently at Melina when she looked up at me.

Dad was sitting at the counter, reading the newspaper as he did every morning, but this time, Ben was sitting with him, reading his own paper. At least they weren’t fighting.

Mom was sitting at the table with Melina and Ally, reading a book for the book club she joined and sipping a cup of coffee.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl. I slapped some peanut butter on a piece of toast, and voila, you have a typical Rosie Ballwood breakfast.

I plopped down in a chair on the far end of the table, away from the rest of my family. My favorite song came through my headphones, so I turned up the volume and tapped my foot to the beat under the table.

I was peeling my orange when I suddenly couldn’t hear my music anymore. I whipped around in my chair to see Ben holding my headphones by the wire.

“What the hell, Ben?” I asked angrily.

“Language, Rosie. Ally’s here,” Dad said warningly, but we both ignored him.

“No headphones at the table,” Ben stated harshly, his cold gaze holding my own heated one. “It’s rude, especially when you have company. Now, you can have these back once your finished.”

“No way!” I protested, trying to grab my headphones from his hand. “That is so not fair! You can’t tell me what to do!”

“I can, and I will,” Ben growled, tension clear in his voice.

“You can’t, and you won’t,” I countered, standing up and reaching for my stolen headphones once more.

“You need to learn some manners, young lady,” Ben said sternly.

“Whatever, Dad,” I said sarcastically before turning to my actual father. “Dad, make him give them back! They’re mine!”

“Ben,” Dad sighed warily. “Just give Rosie her headphones back.”

“No, Dad, you need to teach her some discipline,” Ben snapped at our father, still not giving my headphones back.

“Benjamin, you are welcome to come here and visit, but if you are going to come and tell me how to raise my daughter then I suggest you leave,” Dad stated firmly. We could all tell he was trying to keep his temper in check, whereas Ben’s was long gone.