Free RedBone 2 by T. Styles Page A

kitchen, and her stomach rolled. She was hungry; yet, she couldn’t eat. She was disgusted; yet, she wanted to feel. Her skin was irritated, and sores dotted her body from a constant bout with hives. She knew she resembled a monster even if she hadn’t seen her face in days.
    Life was different now. One minute she and her family walked in to see Chloe in the hospital. She was bruised but alive. When they stepped out to get some food and returned, the doctor informed them that she lost oxygen to her brain and died. Farah, Shadow, and Mia tore the hospital up from top to bottom upon hearing the news. Even when threatened with prison, Shadow held the doctor up off of his feet and contemplated taking his life. It wasn’t until Elise arrived and placed her hand on his shoulder that he came back to his senses.
    “Shadow, if you go back to prison, you staying for life. Now, if you really want to kill this man, we can do that, but understand that I’m pulling the trigger instead of you. I’m not about to lose another grandchild,” Elise told him.
    When they went home, life for Farah was a mess. She missed Chloe running around the apartment singing, fussing, and violating her privacy. She missed her stealing her clothes and crawling into her bed on the nights she didn’t want to be alone. Losing Chloe punched her at the core. Repeatedly. With no letup.
    She unwrapped the sheets from around her body and tried to sleep. Besides, when she slept, she didn’t have to think. She slammed her lids together until Mia walked into her room.
    “It stinks like shit in here! Are you washing your ass at all anymore?” Mia asked.
    “Thanks a lot for your encouragement, Mia.” She rolled over and faced the wall. “If you can get the fuck out of my room, you won’t have to worry about smelling it.”
    “You gotta get up and eat, Farah.” Mia stood in the doorway defiantly.
    The jeans that once hugged Mia’s flesh were now loose and falling off her hipbones. She’d lost over thirty pounds since they buried Chloe and looked like a totally different person. Who would’ve known that under the cellulite and excess blubber was a curvy woman with a banging shape? Although losing weight was not her plan, it was the only positive thing that came as a result of her sister’s death.
    “You can’t sleep all day, and I’m not going to let you keep doing this to yourself anymore. You still have family who cares about you, Farah.”
    Farah tried to suffocate herself by placing the pillow over her head. If Mia wanted to flop around DC like they never had a baby sister, that was on her. She preferred death. “Just leave me alone, Mia,” her muffled voice called out from the pillow. “All I want to do is go back to sleep.”
    Before Mia could respond, Shadow hustled past her and yanked Farah out of the bed by her waist. Her fists and legs kicked wildly out in front of her, but he had her in a death grip. Once in the kitchen, he slammed her limp, stinky body into a chair at the table. Then he snatched a box of Cap’n Crunch off of the fridge and slapped it down in front of her, along with the milk and a bowl.
    The smell of whatever meat was in the oven and the sweet cereal made her stomach churn.
    He didn’t consider if she was hungry or not; instead, he stabbed spoonful after spoonful inside her gaunt face. He didn’t bother to wait for her to chew or not. He lost his baby sister and wasn’t about to lose Farah too because she gave up on life. He didn’t stop until she started crying and Crunch Berries leaped out of the sides of her mouth.
    She cried hard and long. It was the first cry she participated in since the news that Chloe was dead. Seeing Farah’s condition, Mia cried too.
    “Now, I know it’s fucked up,” Shadow said, holding back his own tears. He wiped her face with the sleeve of his red sweatshirt. “You know I do! But I’m not about to lose you too, man. It ain’t happening.” He slapped his chest. “We all we got