Layla’s pov

My heart was thumping in my chest with an uneven beat. My hands reach out for the door and opened it quickly.

Finally, I can breathe. Running home was such a workout.

| gasp for a lungful of air, tempted to throw my bag on the floor and just call it a day. But then my eyes roamed around the area and noticed for the first time, she wasn’t on the chair passed out.

My brows knit as I closed the door.

How long had it been since I last seen my mom off the chair when I got home?

“Mom?” I called out to her, kicking off my converse and kicking them to the side.

There was no answer.

Maybe she did go job searching after all?

My eyes snap to the clock mounted on the wall, just beside the hanging flowers. It read three thirty but I knew it read wrong. It needed new batteries.

Shaking my head I gripped my bag and made my way down the small hallway. My legs nearly feeling like butter as my eyes sweep over to the opened bathroom door.

Was she in there? Did something happen to her?

With my mom’s choices, I knew that there was a possibility that she’ll go too far one day. That something bad can happen to her. I just only hope today wasn’t that day.

“Mom?” I called out again, this time softer, almost fearful even.

My stomach knotted, expecting to probably see my mother on the floor knocked out cold or in the tub suffocated by water in her lungs.

for the best but my mother was

the doorframe and I peeked in. I’m relieved to

I make my way to her room, this time a little hopeful that

the stench of weed became, and the

continued my way to her door. It’s slightly opened and from what I can see from the slight crack,

But as I do so, I’m slapped in the face by the smoke

is unusual for her to

her naked body with a flimsy sheet. And right beside her, smoking what I presume was weed was a man who

his blonde roots. His face wasn’t clean shaven and he

my mom didn’t

smirked. This wasn’t the first time inom brought someone over. She usually did this so

me calling you?” I asked, nervously removing my gaze from the

39

out.

asked, turning to stare at the man she just gave her body to and then back to me before she

her head to the bag Tyler had

it tighter, biting the inside of my cheek before responding. “It’s nothing. Just a

“Oh.” She nodded.

on me, burning through me. His

judge him, but he looked like a guy who had just come

you need me,” I told her softly, wanting to get out of

disappointed. Mom could’ve done better,

around to leave

about the bills for this month, Neymar has promised to pay it full! Isn’t that great

that I wanted to know.

I’d ever let a man I don’t even know pay

I’m going to get a job and will be able

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