Free Shattered Chances: A Breaking Black Companion Novel by Addison Kline Page A

here.”
    “Do you want me to talk to my grandfather?”
    As much as Cheyenne wanted to say yes, desperate to get out from under her step-father’s roof, I knew she didn’t want to be a burden to me or my family. Things were already tense when Grandma found us rounding third in my shower. The incident alone nearly gave the poor old girl a heart attack. While Tim and Uncle Shawn found the incident to be hilarious, Averi wasn’t laughing. She thought it was disrespectful. Averi needed to lighten up.
    “No, Randy… You have a good family life. I don’t want to mess that up. We will get our own place after graduation like we talked about.”
    “That’s the plan, but if he hurts you…”
    “It’s not your problem…”
    I looked at Cheyenne with daggers in my eyes.
    “You’re my girl. Anyone messes with you, they’ve become my problem.”
    My outburst caused a smile to cross Cheyenne’s face. “Okay killer… down boy!”
    Despite my best effort to maintain a serious expression, a grin formed across Randy’s stressed face. The smiles would not last though. As the truck turned the corner of the street where Cheyenne lived, there was an ambulance parked in the middle of the block – right in front of Cheyenne’s step-father’s house. Paramedics were carrying a stretcher out of the house while two other medics tended to the patient’s needs.
    “Mom!” Cheyenne yelled from the passenger seat of the truck.
    “Mom!” she screamed again, scrambling to unstrap her seat belt.
    Cheyenne’s mother was being carried out of the house on a stretcher. Dave, Cheyenne’s step-father was talking to the police and didn’t appear to be going with her to the hospital. I couldn’t stop her. Cheyenne bolted from the truck, running up the middle of the street, trying to see what had happened to her mother.
    “Mom!” Cheyenne screamed, sounding frantic and out of breath.
    Her shoes hit the asphalt heavily with each stride.
    “Miss! You’re going to need to step back,” one paramedic told her.
    “She’s my mother!”
    “Step back… This woman is overdosing. Let’s go!”
    The paramedic jumped in the back and slammed the door shut. With a loud whir, the ambulance rushed off, leaving Cheyenne alone in the early evening dusk.
    My stomach had turned to stone as I watched the ambulance pull off. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Dave went back inside the house. This wouldn’t end well. Cheyenne and Dave being in close quarters was never a good idea. The two getting together was like a match near a powder keg… Sure enough flames would ignite from the tension that mounted between the two of them.
    I waited for Cheyenne in the truck, trying not to jump the gun. But just seconds after Cheyenne slammed the front door, the screaming began. I closed my eyes as I listened to Dave berate and belittle Cheyenne. I tried to stay out of it and I only got involved when Dave resorted to violence. Unfortunately, it happened more often than I was comfortable with. Every time Cheyenne left my sight, I felt like I had swallowed a bowling ball.
    Dave’s voice carried out through the window, “Where have you been?! No doubt whoring it up with your loser boyfriend.”
    I could hear Cheyenne’s upset voice fight back.
    Dave barked, “No! You are supposed to be here to cook my dinner and make sure your mother doesn’t do anything stupid! And now look! I have nothin’ to fuckin’ eat and your mother took a near lethal cocktail of coke, meth and Jack motherfuckin’ Daniels!”
    I listened carefully. I knew what was coming. I took the keys from the truck’s ignition and unstrapped my seat belt. Gritting my teeth, I began beating my boots against the asphalt, closing the distance between Cheyenne’s abusive step-father and myself.
    “Well nothin’, Cheyenne! You’re too busy out there being a fuckin’ whore than to give a shit about our needs!”
    “Your needs!” Cheyenne screamed, “You get her hooked and I’m supposed to