A black mustang convertible sat in my space.
I squealed in excitement.
Matt tossed me the keys.
"Open the trunk and back seat!" Sierra whispered, nudging me forward. The only thing reigning on my excitement was the giant pink heart attached to the rearview mirror.
"Love mom and dad?" I said, feeling my face fall, "that should say love daddy and the step-monster."
"Why do you hate her so much?" Sierra asked for the millionth time. Most of the time my answers to her were 'just cuz...'.
"Why don't you hate your parents?" I asked, wanting an honest answer.
"Because...well, they love me..."
"Exactly," I started, feeling sad, " they don't love me...my parents don't love me...why am I so unlovable?"
Tears poured down my face, causing my face to feel warm. I sank to my knees, wrapping my arms around myself. The truth.I had to admit...the truth hurt. Stung. Cut deep into a soul, my soul.
Sierra knelt to the ground, wrapping her arms around me, enclosing me in a warm embrace. On the verge of tears, my eyes watered and my heart threatened to spill words better left unspoken.
"It hurts," I muttered, forcing my fragile voice into normalicity.
“What does?” Sierra’s breath was hot on the top of my head.
“Knowing you’re unloved,” I whispered so Matt wouldn’t hear me.
“Thalia,” Matt sounded mad.
“What?” I looked at my brother but my hair fell into my face.
“I’m tired of this. You keep complaining that they didn’t love you—never loved you—but did you ever make an effort? Did you ever try to love them first?”
My jaw dropped.
“I have to earn their love?” I questioned, anger filling my voice.
My eyes burned.
“Sometimes…did they think you loved them? Did they think you respected them?” He questioned, stepping towards me.
I stood up, facing him.
“Stop trying to defend her. I mean, sure she’s your mom and all, but she hated me. She would have been fine marrying my dad if I was never born, if I was dead.” Anger fueled my words. They kept pouring out.
“Shut up!” Matt slapped me across the face.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sierra asked, walking up to Matt, “You just hit your sister.”
“As if it wasn’t obvious, Sierra,” I seethed, tears falling down my stinging cheek. It burned and I was shocked that he would hit a girl, hit me.
“What’s wrong with you two?” Sierra asked, standing between us.
“NOTHING,” we both said at the same time.
“Okay…sure,” Sierra said, shrugging. She took the keys from my hand and opened the car, sitting in the front seat.
“Thalia…” Matt started towards me.
I stepped away from him, afraid he would hit me again.
“I’m sorry. I—I’m sorry,” tears fell down his cheeks.
I stepped towards him, wrapping my arms around him.
He enveloped me in a hug of pure love and something inside me broke.
“I love you, Matt,” I said, wiping my eyes.
“I love you, too.”
“Hey…want to go take it for a test drive?” I asked.
He laughed.
“Sure,” he said, opening the back seat.
I walked around to the driver’s door.
“Uhm…Thalia. You might want to see this,” Matt said, pointing to the back seat.
I opened the other door, dropping to my knees.
“WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?” I yelled.
“I don’t know.”
Money sat in the back seat.
I popped the trunk.
More money.
“They went to far this time…”
“Are you going to keep it?” Matt and Sierra both asked me at the same time.
“I guess. It’s my birthday right?”
They both laughed and we got into the car.
I pulled out onto the street and smiled.
New car.
Tons of money.
Shopping.
