Grayson pops his head around the corner a few minutes later. “Why did they leave so suddenly?” He sees Axel with his hold on me and narrows his eyes. “Of course you would be the culprit.”
Shrugging out of Axel’s hold, I offer him an overdramatic glare before pecking Darius on the cheek. “I need to go see them.” Turning to Grayson. “Will you come with me please? I don’t…I don’t want to do this alone.”
“What about us?” Axel grumbles.
“They just saw you and Dariuswithme. I think it might be best to just bring Grayson.”
Axel grunts his disapproval but doesn’t argue. However, I know that he’s going to be just outside, but hopefully, he will stay out of sight.
Grayson furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Of course, ready?”
I’m not.
My emotions are haywire and the sight of my parents has left me with more bad feelings than good. But I want to speak to them, to hear them out, especially now that I know the extent of their suffering. Know how little choice they had. How they tried to make the most out of the worst possible scenario.
I jerk my head. “Don’t let Veronica leave without saying goodbye?” I toss the words to Darius.
“Of course.”
Satisfied, I lead the way down the steps and next door. It isn’t my home any longer. And I’m not sure if I would have the strength to re-enter the space if not for Grayson’s comforting form following close behind me.
53
October 13th
Being back in the dining room where my parents tossed me aside months ago is a weird feeling. So much has changed since then; I barely feel like the same person.
I’m not the same person.
The thought is jolting as I drag one of the chairs out, it scrapes loudly on the hardwood floor.
When I am settled in, I use the last reserves of bravery to look at them.
At my mom and dad. My last connection to Auggie.
My mom looks…bad.Her typically neat appearance is worn and haggard. Her hair is in disarray, wrinkles are etched heavily into her skin.
My dad on the other hand…well, he appears tired too, but there’s a light in his eyes that I haven’t seen in longer than I can remember. And he isn’t drinking, he doesn’t smell of booze.
“You’re back,” I say, because there’s nothing else I can think of. Nothing else that truly makes sense.
“Sweetie.” My dad casts a look above me at Grayson who stands just behind me. “I’m not sure what you know. But…”
I stiffen. “Do you not realize that I was at the Thorne’s when they were arrested? That I was in their dungeon?” The words escape my lips in anger before I can draw them back. “The place that you all knew existed, but did absolutely nothing to stop?!” I’m practically screaming now. My anger is hitting hard and fast, and I have zero chance to contain it.
My mother is crying now, horror has stricken my father’s face, but still I don’t want to stop.
But then Grayson places his hands on my shoulders and it’s as if a blanket of calm washes through me.
My dad watches the interaction with critical eyes and thin lips. He reaches up, brushing some of his wayward curls from his face, before steepling his hands. “We didn’t know you were there. We–I’msorry, sweetie. I’m sorry that we were cowards and took the easiest route to not get caught up in it. I could say we didn’t know, and while we didn’t know the full picture, we did hear the whispers. The rumors.”
“No, this isn’t your fault.” My mother places a hand on my dad’s, squeezing it. “I’m the one that met you at college and forced you to move to this town. That didn’t warn you.”
My dad reaches over, wiping away her tears before kissing both her cheeks.
The image pierces my heart more than it has any right to.
“When we lost Augustus, I went to Sterling Thorne. I pleaded my case. Begged him to spare you. And he promised he would, but that we would take travel contracts and you needed to stay in this town. That we weren’t to contact you. That I needed to pretend as if Auggie’s death was anaccident.” My mother catches my attention, holds it. Her eyes are dark and stormy. “Still, we considered sending you to your grandmother’s. Or running in the middle of the night. Fleeing and going as far as we could. But I wasn’t sure how far we would make it before this town caught up to us. And that’s when Grayson approached us. When he told us that he knew how dangerous this town was, but he knew how to keep you protected. That he would do everything in his power to keep you out of their radar.” My mother’s attention follows Grayson’s hands from my shoulders up to the man himself. She offers a wistful smile. “But then you were shot.”
