Chapter 3. My Little Sister

Selena sat in the passenger seat of her mother’s car as they drove home. Her heart was heavy, and shame burned through her. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at her mother.

She could feel the disappointment radiating from the older woman, could sense the quiet anger and blame. Her mother didn’t have to say anything…Selena already knew she held her responsible for what had happened.

And she was right. It was all her fault. If she had just gotten her emotions under control and treated Elijah better, none of this would have happened.

But it had, and there was nothing she could do about it now.

“What happened? Why did he just snap and throw you out? Elijah’s a pretty calm person,” her mother said, her tone a mix of disbelief and frustration.

Selena let out a faint scoff. “No, he is,” she admitted softly, still staring out the window. “He truly is. But, Mom, I’ve told you…I don’t have feelings for him. How am I supposed to stay with someone I don’t love for the rest of my life?”

Her mother glanced at her briefly before focusing back on the road, a deep frown forming on her face.

After a few long seconds, the woman spoke. “You learn to love people, Selena. It’s not always like in the movies or in books. This is real life. That kind of love rarely exists.”

“But…”

“No.” Her mother’s voice rose slightly, and her grip on the steering wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white. “You had it all, my daughter. You had it all. We are omegas…opportunities like that never come our way. We’re at the bottom of the social ladder, and people are often disgusted by us.”

She shook her head, her voice heavy with disappointment. “But you found someone who saw you for who you really are instead of your social status. Someone rich, well-known, kind, and patient…and you threw that away because of a feeling?”

Selena couldn’t deny it…her mother made sense. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she had truly messed up.

“Do you think it’s too late?” she asked quietly. “Do you think he would take me back?”

“Well, he's better,” her mother replied sharply. “Because we need his help. You know how your sister gets sick so quickly, how bad things get when her health declines. Looking at things, you have a day or two to fix this with him. Maybe less.”

Selena swallowed hard, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of her sister falling deathly ill again, and this time without Elijah’s help or connections.

Lily could die. And it would be her fault. She would never forgive herself.

The rest of the car ride was silent. Neither of them spoke. The weight of everything hung between them until they finally reached the house.

Selena unfastened her seatbelt and stepped out after her mother parked. She walked toward the house and rang the doorbell.

“I have work in a few minutes, so I can’t stay,” her mother said briskly. “Your sister is inside. I didn’t send her to school because of her health. Watch over her, and in the meantime, you'd better call Elijah a million times and fix things with him.” She narrowed her eyes before turning to leave.

“What about my things?” Selena asked as her mother started the vehicle's engine.

“You have some of your old clothes inside. Use them. When I come back, you can get the rest from the car.” With that, she drove away.

Selena sighed deeply and rang the doorbell again.

A moment later, Lily opened the door with a bright smile. “You’re back!” she said cheerfully, rushing forward to hug her tightly. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Selena hugged her back, warmth filling her chest. But as soon as they pulled apart, worry replaced that warmth.

Lily was thinner, paler, and weaker.

Her mother had said they had a day or two before needing to take Lily to the hospital, but looking at her now, Selena feared they had far less. The realization terrified her.

They didn’t have health insurance; most omegas didn’t. That privilege was reserved for the powerful and wealthy. And Lily’s treatments were beyond expensive.

“How do you feel?” Selena asked gently.

“I’m just a bit tired,” Lily replied with a small smile. “But I’m okay.” Even her voice sounded weak.

“Alright,” Selena said softly, kissing her forehead before leading her inside.

She took a long shower and changed into some of her old clothes before heading to the kitchen to prepare a meal. Her mother wouldn’t be home until late, probably close to midnight. She worked two jobs and had once thought about quitting since Elijah had been helping them. But now that Selena had ruined things, that dream was gone.

At least until she made things right with him.

She cooked porridge, fried eggs, and bacon: Lily’s favorites. The girl never got tired of them, and honestly, Selena had grown to love them too.

“Selena?” Lily’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Selena turned off the burner under the eggs and lowered the heat on the porridge before giving her sister her full attention.

“Dad says he wants to take me somewhere,” Lily said quietly.

Selena furrowed her brows and gave her a small, confused smile. She knelt beside her and spoke softly. “Lily, you know Dad isn’t with us anymore.”

“But…” Lily began but suddenly stopped. Her face went pale, paler than before, and then she collapsed to the floor with a dull thud.

Panic surged through Selena as she rushed to her sister’s side. She caught her limp body in her arms, heart racing. She had been through this before. Lily's fainting wasn’t new, but it didn’t make it any less terrifying.

She knew what to do, but she also knew she had to act fast. She needed to keep her breathing steady until they reached the hospital.

If she didn’t, Lily might die.