Beneath the Stars

2

QUINN

Living with Lilith has been so different than living with Ma. I don't have to worry about being beaten every damn day. I can finally have a bit of peace in my life.

Lilith's apartment is a tiny shoebox that is barely enough for one person and adding two teenagers to the mix sounds like a terrible idea. Lilith didn't give a damn, wanting us to have a roof over our heads.

"Quinn just take the room," Lilith whines, looking at me with puppy eyes. My sisters and those damn puppy eyes they use to win against me.

I've been sleeping on Lilith's couch, leaving the guest room for Jemma. Jem tried to give the room to me, but I shut her down so fast. I can deal with not sleeping and back pain, however, I couldn't live with myself if Jemma had lost any sleep or felt even an aspect of pain.

Jemma deserves to feel normal and have her room. I even got her band posters with the money I stole from David.

"No Lils," I tell Lilith softly. "You've already done so much for us." I sit on the couch and pat on the stiff cushion.

"This is an upgrade from Ma's house," I joke, laughing at my miserable life. Lilith's face falls, and she makes her way over to me.

"I'm so sorry Quinn." Lilith chokes out, her eyes full of tears. "I'm so fucking sorry Quinn." She lets out a sob, looking over at me with guilt covered all over her face.

"I should have been there for Jem and you. I should have fucking been there Quinn." Lilith is full of regret, hating herself for not saving us from our mother. A mother who hates her very existence.

Lilith has a different father than Jemma and me. Ma resents her daughter for being a reminder of her ex-husband. My older sister looked nothing like Ma. Lilith has lengthy black hair and a tall build that is unlike Ma's ginger hair and short physique.

Lilith from an early age had to pay the price of being her father's daughter.

Ma never talked about Lilith and never included her in family pictures or vacations. I didn't even meet my older sister until I was 15. Ma sent Lilith to live with her father, and that's the best thing Ma's ever done.

Daniel Cowfer was a good parent, unlike Ma. He went to every one of Lilith's soccer games, took her on daddy-daughter dates every Saturday, and gave Lils her first car. Daniel loved his daughter unconditionally, loving her with every fiber of his body.

Then he got sick.

Daniel lost his battle with cancer after an antagonizing year that broke Lilith. She was 18 and lost her dad, the only person who loved her. Lilith had no family and tried to turn to Ma, only to be pushed away.

Ma didn't want her, and a piece of her broke. My sister knew Ma wasn't a perfect mom, but in her heart, she thought Ma would at least care.

That is when I met Lilith, being 15 I was naturally a jackass, but my sister at that moment didn't care, she still had a family. Lils knew Ma had more kids, but her own mother didn't want her daughter to meet her kids.

Lilith tried to keep contact with Jemma and me and gave me a flip phone. That's when I knew my sister was a keeper, that she had a fucking heart of gold.

Dave and Ma brought so much stress to my already fucked life, making me feel like I would never have a normal life again. Lilith proved them wrong.

She took us in and did what Ma didn't, gave us love.

Ma didn't go out looking for us that night, assuming we would be back by the morning. Even a week later she wasn't worried. It wasn't until the bills came that she called Lilith, asking for her two children.