Blurred Lines

Prologue

Riley leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at the cracked linoleum beneath her feet. The kitchen was small and dingy, like everything else in their house, but she didn't mind it. The only thing that mattered was the routine she shared with Josh. Her little brother was her world, her escape from the chaos. Every afternoon, after school, they'd sit on the porch and eat the sandwiches she made him. They used to go to the same school and get home together, but this year, Riley had started high school, so she got home earlier. Sometimes they'd talk about nothing; other times, they'd get lost in stories about all the places they wanted to go, far away from this house, far away from the constant shouts, slamming doors, and the never-ending clink of liquor bottles.

Josh was different from the rest of them. He wasn't hardened by their father's fists or the sound of Mike and Kyle coming home at 2 AM smelling like trouble. Josh was still good. He was Riley's anchor, the one thing that kept her from feeling completely consumed by the darkness that hung over their house. He was only three years younger than her, so they'd been close ever since they were children. Every day she made a silent promise to protect him, to keep him safe from the streets, the violence, and the world that was slowly devouring their family.

She had begged Mike and Kyle countless times to leave him out of whatever they were involved in. "Please," she'd whisper late at night when their father was passed out on the couch, a bottle still clutched in his hand. "He's not like us. He doesn't deserve this. He's just a kid."

Mike would sigh, running a hand through his hair. "We're looking out for him, Riles. You know we are."

But she could see it in their eyes. They were too deep. No matter how many groceries they brought home or how many times they checked in on her, their world wasn't safe. And she was terrified that one day, they'd drag Josh into it too.

"Don't bring him into this," she'd pleaded, tears filling her eyes. "Please. He's all I have."

Kyle had given her a half-smile, the one that never reached his eyes anymore. "We got it under control. You worry too much."

But Riley didn't believe them. She saw how the streets had changed her brothers, how it had stolen their laughter and replaced it with secrets and lies. And now, every time Josh ran out the front door, her heart lurched, a constant fear gnawing at her that one day he wouldn't come back.

She was still lost in thought when she saw him—a flash of blue, his favorite baseball cap—coming down the street. Her heart lifted at the sight. Josh. Always a ray of light in this mess.

Quickly, she slapped together a sandwich, just like every other day. Two slices of bread, peanut butter, jelly. His favorite. She was about to call his name when something stopped her. Something... wrong.

Josh wasn't moving the way he usually did, bounding up the sidewalk with his backpack slung over one shoulder. He was slow. Staggering. And then she saw it—red, spreading across his shirt.

The world went silent.

"Josh?" Her voice came out in a broken whisper, barely audible over the sound of her own heartbeat, pounding in her ears.

She dropped the sandwich, her legs carrying her to the porch, but it felt like she was running underwater. Everything moved in slow motion. He collapsed onto the pavement, just a few feet from her, his small body crumpling like a rag doll.

"No, no, no, no!" Riley's knees hit the ground beside him, hands trembling as they hovered over his chest. The blood. There was so much blood.

"Josh, look at me," she begged, her voice cracking. "Stay with me, okay? You're gonna be fine. I'll get help, okay? Just—just hold on."

But his eyes were already losing focus, his breaths coming in shallow, ragged gasps. His small fingers curled weakly around her hand, and for the first time in her life, Riley had no idea what to do.

She tried to call for help, tried to scream, but the sound wouldn't come. All she could do was hold him, her baby brother, the one person she swore she would protect, and watch as the light slowly faded from his eyes.

And in that moment, she knew it was over. No more porch conversations. No more peanut butter sandwiches. The world that had taken everything from her had finally taken Josh too.

When Mike and Kyle showed up minutes later, their faces twisted in horror, Riley didn't even look up. She just stared at the spot where Josh had been, her heart shattered beyond repair.

Her brothers' promises, her own desperate pleas to keep him out of their mess, had all come to nothing. And as she cradled his lifeless body in her arms, all Riley could feel was the crushing weight of failure.