It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

Josh immediately looks at me. I shake my head and motion for him to
come inside. Brad can sense something is off, so he puts the car in park and
opens his door.
Josh ducks his head and walks directly across the yard, past Sutton, and
rushes toward me. Sutton is hot on his trail, so I try to get Josh inside quick
enough to close the door on her, but she’s too fast. I’m not about to injure her
with the door, so I just let her inside.
I guess we’re doing this now.
I wave to Brad to let him know he can go, and then I look at Lily, who is
standing against a wall, watching everything unfold with a surprised look on
her face.
I mouth, I’m sorry.
Josh tosses his backpack on the floor and sits down on the couch, firmly
folding his arms. “I’m not going with you,” he says to Sutton.
“This isn’t up to you.”
Josh looks directly at me, pleading. “You said I could stay here.”
“You can.”
Sutton shoots daggers at me like I’m out of line. Maybe I am. Maybe it’s
not my business to be getting in the way of a mother and her child, but she
should have thought twice about that before she made me that child’s brother.
I can’t turn the other way and just hope he makes it out okay.
“If you don’t come with me, I’ll have your brother arrested.”
Josh slaps his hands on the couch and pushes himself up. “Why can’t it be
my choice?” he yells. “Why do I have to live with either one of you? I’ve told
you both I want to live with my dad, but no one will help me find him!”
Josh’s voice cracks, and then he’s marching down the hallway. The slam of
his door makes me flinch… or maybe it was what he said before running to
his room.
Either way, I feel punctured.
Sutton can see the sting because she’s staring at me, assessing my reaction
to that.
Then she starts to laugh. “Oh, Atlas. You thought you were doing
something here? Forming a bond with him?” She shakes her head and throws
up her hand in defeat. “Take him to his daddy. You’ll be running back to me
next week, just like you did the last time you needed my help.”
She walks to the door and leaves, and I’m too dazed by everything that
just happened to walk over and lock it.