Mira was so grateful to have Cassie. She had gone so many years where it was just her and Ethan. For her to have a friend she could turn to felt ... well, she couldn't really describe it. But as she sat on Cassie's couch, waiting for the tea, there was a sense of safety that let Mira breathe again
"Ethan figured out that I give blood for a discount on our rent. It's how I was able to get us out of that hell hole of a trailer park." Mira rubbed her hands over her legs. "He was so angry. He doesn't raise his voice to me, but he did today. He demanded that I break the deal, but I can't, Cassie. I can't afford it without the deal and I refuse to go back to where we were. Then he demanded that I let him take my place and absolutely not. Why can't he understand that I'm the parent? I'm the one that's supposed to sacrifice for us, not the other way around. Now he's threatning to confront Levi, and I will lose my mind if he ruins this deal for us." She started crying again, because the fear of what was yet to happen felt suffocating.