No Shelter Left novel · Chapter 3 of 24

Chapter 3: Customers Heard

Her mother and brothers come for her in front of the laundromat's customers and she plays them Colby's own voice. A black car pulls up and Jude Ransom steps out with a contract.

At eleven that morning, Aisling carried her laundry bag down to the machines and found her family waiting.

Her mother stood by the folding table in her good cardigan, holding her purse in both hands.

Colby stood beside her with his phone out.

Brodie hung back near the soap dispenser and looked at the floor.

A woman folding towels stopped folding.

The owner behind the counter turned the radio down.

"There she is," Colby said. "Look at where she's chosen to live."

"Aisling." Her mother's voice cracked. "Sweetheart. Please."

Aisling set the bag on the table. "How did you find me?"

"Kaitlyn told us," Colby said.

So Kaitlyn had not kept it to herself after all.

Aisling looked at her mother.

Marianne's eyes were wet, and there was lint on her sleeve from leaning on a dryer.

For a second it was hard to be angry.

Then Aisling remembered this woman at the wreck, calling for Kaitlyn first.

"I'm not coming home," she said.

"You're being cruel," her mother said. "After everything we've done to bring you into this family."

"After everything I've done for it."

"Family means giving things up sometimes, Aisling."

Aisling almost laughed.

"Who has been giving things up, Mom? Say who."

Her mother looked away.

Colby cut in smoothly, in the soft manager voice he used on label people.

"Let's keep this civil. The label wants that song for Kaitlyn, so I'll make it simple."

He held up a hand and counted on it.

"Five thousand dollars today. You sign a release, you come home, and you apologize to Mom."

"Five thousand."

"It's generous."

"For a song you said could win her an award."

"Aisling." He glanced at the woman with the towels and lowered his voice. "Don't make this public."

"We're in a laundromat," Aisling said. "It's already public."

The woman with the towels folded one more towel very slowly.

Colby's jaw worked. "I'm your brother. I'm trying to take care of you."

"You froze my account."

"For your own good."

"You told me she needs it more."

"That was a private conversation."

"Yes," Aisling said. "It was."

She took the recorder out of her coat pocket and pressed play.

Colby's voice came out small and tinny, but every word was clear.

"Be reasonable, Aisling. She needs it more."

There were a few seconds of her own voice, and then his again.

"If Kaitlyn could write like you, we wouldn't be having this talk."

She stopped it there.

Nobody moved.

The dryer behind them clicked and rolled on.

Her mother stared at Colby.

Colby stared at the recorder, and his face went white, then red.

"Turn that off."

"It's off."

"Where did you get that?"

"Yesterday morning, in my room. You walked in while it was running."

"That's illegal."

"It's my room," Aisling said. "And that's my voice, right next to yours."

Brodie lifted his eyes from the floor for the first time.

He said nothing, but he looked at Aisling, and then at his brother, and he did not look away.

Colby took a step toward her. "Give me the recorder."

"No."

"Aisling."

The owner of the laundromat came around the counter.

He was a heavy man with white hair and thick forearms.

"Ma'am," he said to Aisling. "Do you want these people out?"

Aisling held Colby's eyes. "Not yet."

"Then keep it quiet or take it outside," the owner told Colby, and stood there with his arms folded.

Colby said nothing.

Her mother's hand had gone to her throat.

She had not spoken since the recording played.

"Mom," Aisling said. "I'm not asking you to pick me. I'm asking you to stop calling this sacrifice."

Her mother opened her mouth.

Outside, a car door shut.

Everyone turned toward the front window.

A black sedan sat at the curb with its engine ticking.

A man was getting out of it, with dark hair, rolled sleeves and a folder under his arm.

Aisling's whole body went still.

She knew the walk.

The back of him was the last thing she had seen of him.

Jude Ransom pushed open the laundromat door, and the little bell rang.

He looked once around the room, at the family, the owner and the woman with the towels.

Then he looked at Aisling.

"Ms. Larkin," he said. "I have an offer for you."

← Chapter 2 · All chapters · Chapter 4 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend