Closing Time

Chapter 1

(July By Noah Cyrus)

Rylee's Pov

"How are you doing?" Ruby asked quietly as I counted money from my check.

"I have enough money for the bills, that's about it." I mumbled, putting everything down and closing my eyes.

"How much money does he make? Just put the checks together."

I loved my brother, I really did, but there were just some things that I couldn't tell him.

"He quit his job." I lied, and rubbed my fingers on my temples.

He never had a job to begin with. He leached off of me for everything. Iris was asleep on my bed hugging a stuffed animal that she's had since she was born.

"Why the hell?" Ruby muttered, now visibly upset.

"Wasn't paying him enough."

"Where's he going to work now?"

"I dont know." I mumbled quietly.

My camera was facing the ceiling. The bruises littered my skin. Not my proudest moment in life.

"How's my favorite niece?" He changed the subject and I smiled.

"She's your only niece."

He let out a laugh and I looked over at her.

"She's sleeping right now, but she's doing well."

She was laying on her stomach with her face towards me. Her face was squished together, making her look even more adorable than she already is.

"When are you guys coming back home? I want to see her." Ruby whined and I laughed.

"I dont have the car paid off right now... But when I do, I'll bring her down."

Ruby and I talked for a little bit more before we hung up. I ended up starting to make dinner. Jason was out with his friends, probably wouldn't be home tonight. Therefore I was only cooking for Iris. We didn't have a lot of food, so I needed to go shopping. I didn't have the money for it though. Not right now.

"Momma?" The sound of her feet hitting the tile drew me out of my head.

"Hi honey." I smiled down at her and she gave me a grabby hands.

I laughed and picked her up and she laid her head on my shoulder. I ran my fingers through her hair before setting her down on the counter. She gave me a sour look and I laughed.

I finished cooking dinner and put it in front of her and she looked at me with a tilted head.

"Eat?" She pushed the bowl at me and I shook my head.

"You eat, then I'll eat."

Even though Iris is three, she still has trouble speaking. She can speak some words easily, but others she has a lot of trouble with. She's very smart for her age, and sometimes it scares me. Sometimes I feel like she knows and understands what's going on here, but then again, she's three. She most likely doesn't. Besides her blonde hair, everything else is mine. She doesn't look like Jason one bit. He gets mad about that, and he always tells me that I cheated on him. As great as that would've been, to tell him that this angel isn't his, it's sadly not the case.

I need to get another job. Photography just isn't cutting it. I opened my phone and looked at jobs near me that I could take. Bar, Target, Walmart. I closed my phone and took a deep breath.