Free The Silent Sounds of Chaos by Kristina Circelli Page B

money went in the bank; the rest was spent making sure Tommy had enough to eat, and medicine from the doctor whenever he needed it. Finn had lost count of the number of times he’d refilled his little brother’s nebulizer treatment prescription, or had to get more food because his mother took it all for herself and her latest fling.
    A few more years. That’s what he kept telling himself. A few more years and he’d be eighteen, and he’d be old enough to get a place of his own away from this hellhole, maybe bring Tommy with him. Make something of himself, even if that meant following in Charlie’s footsteps. The man had become a father to him, albeit one who would shoot him in the back of the head if it came down to it. But Finn trusted him, was grateful for the chance he gave a hungry thirteen-year-old kid looking for a job.
    He was thinking about the day he first walked into Infinity when he waltzed in the back door, heading straight for Charlie’s office. Chix, the bouncer who’d guarded the club for as long as anyone could remember, offered a single nod as he passed by before resuming his typical arms crossed, eyes narrowed pose. Though it was early, the club out front was already packed—a benefit of Infinity being one of the only places in town with cheap alcohol, good music, and a firm “don’t ask, don’t tell” stance.
    Caught up in the music as much as he did the glimpses of scantily clad women, Finn collided with a figure exiting the women’s bathroom. “Whoa,” he said with a laugh, reaching out an arm to steady the girl, then turning his grin into a playful smirk when he saw who he was holding. “Well, well. We meet again.”
    The girl, the most beautiful one he’d ever seen, smirked right back. “What’s up, loverboy? Got another pickup line for me?”
    Not to be deterred, Finn edged a step closer, then another, until her back was against the wall and he had one hand pressed up behind her. She let him drift a hand up her arm, amused, enjoying his efforts. They’d been playing this game for a while—a game she continued to win.
    “So,” Finn began, ducking his head toward her, “when you gonna agree to that date?”
    The sound of her laugh was better than any music Infinity could ever offer, even if it was directed at him. “When you gonna give that up? You know I’m too old for you.”
    “Only by a year. Doesn’t count,” he argued back. They’d had this discussion many times. And, just like every conversation in the past, he wasn’t going to let his age determine their date. The only thing separating them was her ability to get her driver’s license.
    In so many other ways, their lives intersected and mirrored. Her father was a known heroin addict, his mother to anything she could get her hands on. Both bought their supply from Charlie. On that, they could commiserate, and often did. Finn had grown up with the girl with jet-black hair, his childhood filled with memories of basketball games and snowball fights and late nights keeping each other company in the cemetery garden when things got too loud and rough at home.
    And yet, despite their connection, she still refused him their date.
    “I have to go.” The hand pressed against his chest lulled Finn out of his thoughts. “Dad’s waiting. You know how it is.”
    She slid out from beneath his arm, offering a wave. But he wasn’t done with her yet. “Remember when we used to build snowmen?” he called after her, waiting until she turned to continue. “How cold you used to get? And I was always there to warm you up.”
    “Yeah,” she scoffed back, her expression as bemused as it was saucy, “because you were the one shoving snow down my back.”
    Seeing his opportunity, Finn followed her down the hall. “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it. So … how about that date?”
    She crossed her arms and asked, “Give me one good reason why I should say yes.”
    Dozens of replies came to mind. Some dirty suggestions he’d