Hopelessly Broken Read Online Free Page B

was in school. There was no reason for Aeron to come by. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since they’d returned his dog.
    Peeking out the bedroom window, she caught sight of a car parked outside the house.
    A dark sedan.
    Oh crap. Not the dark sedan.
    Another knock echoed through the house.
    She stiffened.
    For months she’d been anticipating a visit from Mrs. Tate. She was still technically underage, caring for Logan since shortly after their parents’ death. An aunt they’d never met before had arrived the day after their parents’ death, stayed in the house with them for roughly two weeks, and then disappeared.
    She was pretty sure that wasn’t okay.
    She’d done her best to hide their situation from Logan’s school and their case worker. She was petrified he would be taken away and put in a foster home and she’d never see him again. She was hoping she could make it to her eighteenth birthday before someone found out and reported her. She only had a couple more weeks until she would be legal.
    Had her worst fears come true?
    A third knock set her heart rate to the stratosphere.
    She quietly made her way to the front door and peered through the peephole. A woman stood on the front porch. It was the woman who’d come to their house that awful day, when they’d learned about their parents.
    Mrs. Tate.
    What should she do?
    If she answered the door she could lie, say her aunt was at work, and hope the woman didn’t know the truth.
    If she didn’t answer, she had to hope the woman would go away, become bogged down with her other cases , and forget about them for another couple of weeks.
    What to do?
    The woman knocked again. Clearly, she wasn’t giving up.
    Jenn opened the door. She made sure she had a friendly smile in place. “Hi.”
    “Hello, I’m Mrs. Tate with the Department of Human Services,” the woman said, peering over Jenn’s shoulder. “Do you remember me?”
    “Sure,” Jenn said.
    “You’re not in school.”
    “I…I stayed home sick,” another lie. But she’d already told so many over the last year, what would one more hurt?
    “ Is there an adult at home?” Mrs. Tate asked, her expression turning cold.
    “No, not right now.”
    Mrs. Tate pulled a card out of her bag and handed it to Jenn. “Can you tell me when someone will be home? I need to speak with an adult immediately.”
    “Um, I’m not sure.” Jenn fingered the card. How would she get out o f this situation? She needed an adult, someone who would be willing to lie to DHS. She had no idea where she’d find anyone to do that. Who could she trust? This wasn’t going to be just a little white lie, it would be a big, honking huge one.
    What about Aeron?
    Mrs. Tate’s eyes narrowed but her smile remained in place. “Could you please give her...?”
    “Him,” Jenn said, making a snap decision. “My aunt’s oldest son has been staying with us. He’s nineteen.”
    “ O-okay.” Mrs. Tate didn’t look pleased. “Could you please give him my card and ask him to call me as soon as possible?”
    “Sure.” Jenn stepped back, prepared to shut the door.
    “Thank you.” Mrs. Tate shifted her bag on her shoulder, turned and cautiously walked down the slick steps.
    Jenn instantly vowed to buy some salt and get those stairs cleared at once.
    She shut the door then slumped against it.
    She’d dodged a bullet. But she was far from being out of danger. Despite Mrs. Tate’s syrupy smile and soft voice, Jenn knew that woman was nobody to mess with.
    She had to find an adult willing to pose as either her runaway aunt or her aunt’s fictional son. And the sooner, the better. Or Logan could be taken away. That would devastate both of them. But especially Logan.
    Where would she find someone to help her? Who would be willing?
    She thought about some of the guys she’d known from school. Only one was old enough, and there was no way she could ask him.
    That left only one person.
    Aeron?
    She hadn’t seen him in days, and she