Teach Me Your Ways

Chapter eleven

Monday night

Carter and I had stayed up for a bit. I had calmed down and taken a pill for my anxiety and nerves. Carter had finally agreed to tell me the story.

"My mother and father came from nothing; they were dirt poor. They started gangs, robbed banks and a bunch of other things that were illegal. They never got caught cause of all their connections, plus they were too smart. They were the Bonnie and Clyde of the future. They became millionaires from this. The money went to my fathers head. Abusive dads are the worst." He chuckles. "Mom left me with all the money when she got sick, every single bit. She didn't give it to Tanner or Taylor over me because I was the oldest. Tanner also had cancer when he was younger, but thank god I had enough money to pay for the surgeries. She didn't leave my father with any, I gave him a couple of thousands to keep him away. I took care of Tanner and Taylor until they both had stable jobs and houses. We thought that was all of the money wasn't. When I turned 18, I was told that my mother had hid away about 3 million dollars. For me to receive it and for it to not go to my father, I have to....I have to...."

"Spit it out!"

"I have to exchange my mother's ring to some Italian mafia group or marry someone."

"Okay...marry your girlfriend Carter." I state confused why he didn't think of that.

"I don't love her." He lays back on my bed. "Plus we broke up last night."

"Why is that?"

"She was just becoming too much of a problem." He mumbles.

I nod and lay back with him.

"I'm already a multimillionaire, a couple more millions would be nice yes. But I'm just not in a rush to receive it right now, everyone around me is doing almost as well as me financially. There are people who are aware of this money just sitting around and want to have it; these people being in Italian mafia and my father.

I stay quiet.

Are you okay? Seriously?"

"Yeah I guess, it's not the first death I've watched."

"It's not?" He furrows his eyebrows.

"I guess since you told me your story I can tell you mine." I hug a pillow. "I'll just summarize it. My dad just switched one day to pure evil, I don't know what happened to him. Maybe drugs, I don't know. He set the house on fire with my mom and I in it. My mom didn't make it."

I notice his eyes flicker over to mom on the stand, but he didn't say anything. He just held me and that's all I needed him to do.

• • •

Tuesday

We fell asleep together. I wake up to Carter gone. The memories of the murders come back to me and I get chills. I hear the doorbell ring and try to shake off last night. It was Raven. I missed this sweet little girl.

"Bye Rave, see you this weekend." Taylor kisses her cheek.

Taylor was dressed in a black dress with heel, it was formal for work I suppose.

"Bye TT!" She waves as Taylor gets into her car.

I look at my phone and notice it was six o'clock.

"Dawn!" She hugs me tightly.

"Hi sweet girl, we're gonna have the best time." I hug her back. "Are you hungry?"