Jezebel's POV
Mom left for her shift at six. She kissed the air near my cheek, told us not to wait up, and closed the door behind her. The house settled into that particular quiet that only happened when she was gone and the pills were still hours away.
Jake was on the couch with the television on but the volume was low. I sat on the opposite end.
Neither of us spoke for a long time. The only sounds were the fridge humming and the occasional shift of fabric when one of us moved.
“Are you still thinking about last night?” he asked without looking at me.
“Yes.”
He turned the television off. The sudden silence felt louder than the noise had been. He looked at me fully now, eyes dark, jaw set.
“Come here.”
I didn’t move right away. I made him wait. Then I stood and walked over until
