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SLOANE MAY HAVE AGREED to Bobby's demands, but that didn't mean she was happy about it.
What did he think this trip would do? Give her closure on her family trauma, or give her even more of it? Finally help her connect with her new stepfather and his son? Make her stop drinking and all the other disastrous stuff she did to her body on a daily basis? Yeah, like that was going to happen. Sloane was righteously independent. If she wanted help, she would do it on her own terms.
But still, she agreed to Bobby's deal, and groaned as soon as she stepped foot into her apartment that evening. She picked up her cat and hugged him to her chest. "I guess you're gonna be staying with an old man and his sweet wife for a bit, Jerry." The cat looked up as if he could understand her, and Sloane tapped his nose. "Little does he know that you hate men."
After a few more minutes of head scratches and one opened can of Fancy Feast, Sloane trudged to her room and dug out her suitcase from her closet. She hadn't used this in – gosh, it was probably college. She shuddered at the memories. Tearing through her closet, she threw all her warmest sweaters and pants on the floor. They'd make it inside the suitcase soon enough. Why did she agree to this again?
Oh, yeah, the Seldon award.
Sloane sat in the middle of the pile of clothes on the floor and grabbed the Smirnoff bottle hidden right next to her vibrator inside her nightstand. She took a swig and evaluated her life choices. She really did not want to go back to Queens, but she promised Bobby she'd leave by tomorrow. There was hardly any buffer period to prepare for her mother. She took another big gulp and pulled out her phone.
She texted her mom that she would finally be visiting for Thanksgiving and a work assignment. Surprisingly, she got a response quickly. K, see you soon, honey. Frank and Everett will be delighted, her mother sent. No enthusiasm, no excitement. Her mom had begged her years ago to visit, and when she finally got what she wanted, it simply wasn't exciting anymore.
