I head upstairs to the movie theater. Gia is sitting next to Cora while they watch a movie. Cora’s eyes may be glued to the gigantic screen, but she is also speaking to someone on her phone. I perch on the thick velvet seat next to Gia. How am I going to break it to her that her mom doesn’t want her? And she’s in jail. No, I’m not going to tell her just yet. I’ll come up with another lie.

“Are you okay?” Rainbow whispers in my ear, sliding into my lap and slinging her arms around my neck.

“No, I managed to piss off Alana, but I told her about my dad, and about the abuse,” I whisper back.

“What did she say?”

“That she’s sorry that happened, and that she’s pissed that I didn’t tell her about Cora.”

“She will forgive you, Wolf,” she says, giving me Eskimo kisses. Where would I be without Gia’s support?

Cora hits the end button on her phone. “Where’s Mom? I need to ask her if I can go on a ski trip with Talon’s family for fall break in November.”

Here goes nothing.

“Rylee is not coming back for a while,” I say as the wrinkle on her forehead deepens.

“What do you mean?”

I glance at Gia, and she kisses the bottom of my chin, then gives me an encouraging nod.

“She wants you to live with me.”

“For how long?”

“Forever. She wants me to have custody of you.”

I feel shitty for lying.

“Very funny, Tuxedo Mask.” Cora studies my face. When I look at Gia, her smile morphs into a frown.

“You’re lying!” she cries. She taps the screen on her phone and dials what I assume is Rylee’s number and dials it again when it goes to voicemail.

“I heard her say it. She isn’t coming back,” Gia says with sadness in her tone.

“Why doesn’t she want me anymore?” Tears gloss Cora’s eyes, and her face colors with sorrow. And my heart fucking explodes in my chest. “I’ll do better. I’ll be a better daughter and stop nagging her. I’ll do all my homework and get all As when I start school. I’ll give her all of my trust fund.”

She sobs uncontrollably, and Gia slides in the chair next to me, and I hug Cora like she’s my daughter. I wish I could tell her the truth about how manipulative her mother is. That she doesn’t give a shit about her, and she’s in jail.

“It’s nothing you did, Cora. Something is wrong with her. She isn’t in her right mind,” Gia says to her.

“Do you think she’ll come back and get me?” Cora asks, her running nose wetting my sweater.