Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

Chapter 299

Maybe she went on vacation with her parents. Or maybe... maybe she just

doesn't come out much. Some kids weren't allowed to play outside a lot. I knew that. But I kept looking anyway, just in case

As usual, I was sad and alone again.

Mum and Dad just got into an argument, and I think Dad hit Mum again. I heard it. I don't know why he always did that. I wish he wouldn't."

But I closed my ears and drank some of the sour-smelling stuff I wasn't supposed to. It burned going down, but it made everything fuzzy. I liked the fuzzy. The fuzzy made things go away.

Before I woke up, the house was empty, and they were nowhere to be seen.

I sat by the window in my room with my cheek against the cold glass watching the yard. I wasn't interested in anything else. But this time, I wasn't thinking of jumping off. I was thinking of the little girl who had made me smile on my birthday.

And if saw her again, I'd run to her this time. I wouldn't just stare like I did before. I'd talk to her. Ask her what her favorite candy was. Tell her mine. Maybe show her my collection of squishy toy monsters. She might like the purple one that glows in the dark. Most people don't, but I think she would.

I told Caroline about her when I finally got the courage to. Caroline always listened to me whenever I needed someone to talk to.

She had seen the little girl when she wandered into our yard. She had told me the little girl's name.

Kasmine.

That was her name.

It was a beautiful name. And the fact that our names started with the same letter made me believe that we were meant to be

friends.

She was really young. So, I'd protect her. If someone ever tried to be mean to her, I'd stop them. I'm small for my age, but I can yell really loud. I'd protect her like a big friend is supposed to.

together and eat chewy gummies. I'd even give her the red

suddenly, I felt

Otherwise, why would she wander

had told me the house. White fence with the little sunflowers in the yard. She said it was near the corner where the mailman always gets stuck opening that squeaky

picked the purple one that glowed. It was a gift Mum had given me when I turned

was the soft kind, not the

like it. It was clean enough. I wiped its little eye on

going out. I just went

ran.

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Chapter 299

we have become good friends before the summer break, and then we'd have more than enough time to play together when Mum and

a guessing game. One had a bike on the porch. Another had clothes swinging on a line. I didn't know which one

walking slowly at first, then a little faster. I peeked through yards, looking for sunflowers. I looked for anything that might look

inside. Should I knock on each

what if it wasn't the right house? What if someone yelled at me didn't want to

tightened around the purple monster. It made a soft

give up when I heard something... It was

I froze.

That was her.

around the side of a tall bushy

My heart pounded too fast like it

There she was.

hurt to look at. Her brown hair looked so long and beautiful. Her green eyes were squinty from laughing

hard.

There were three boys tossing a ball nearby and another

They were all laughing.