Chapter 26


    – I cringed, but telling him about Frank was a lot easier than telling him about Grace. Frank couldn’t


    torment me anymore, not with me being forced to live with Garrett. Grace on the other hand could still


    manage to get to me.


    “Frank likes to drink.” I shrugged, “He gets rough. I ran and locked myself in my room. He was trying to


    break down my door so I climbed out the window and jumped.”


    “You jumped from your window?” Garrett’s voice was calm.


    “No.” I replied, deadpan. “I jumped from the roof.”


    “That fact makes no difference.” Garrett growled under his breath.


    “Look.” I sighed, “Don’t go ying the caring father card. Seriously, for my sanity don’t do it.”


    This entire conversation was giving me a headache. My heart was being pulled in so many different


    directions, I wondered if it could withstand all of the torment. ‘Only a few more days’, I told myself. Then


    I’d be in the wind, not a single person to worry about.


    Two devastatingly handsome faces walked through the doors to the restaurant, making my heart skip a


    beat. I choked on my drink, nearly spewing soda across the table. Alec and Kade strolled through the


    front doors, stopping in front of Cameron to be seated. It was as though they could feel my eyes on


    them. The two of them looked up at the same time, meeting my eyes instantaneously. They didn’t even


    have to search around the room. They were like one person with their movements. Their eyes flickered


    from me to Garrett, and finally back to me. It took all of the willpower I had in my body to peel my eyes


    away from theirs, only to meet another familiar pair.


    Grace was walking through the front doors, Autumn on one side and the dark haired girl on the other.


    She too met my eyes instantaneously. A cruel, s**t eating grin spread on her face as she waited behind


    Alec and Kade. Her eyes were glistening with knowledge, with superiority. It seems she hadn’t noticed


    my healed face, but that didn’t surprise me. She probably only noticed my fear, and how I practically


    reeked of it.


    Cameron sat Alec and Kade at a table, but Alec shook his head. I couldn’t hear what they were saying,


    but I quickly figured it out when Cameron sat them at the booth across from us. I had a clear view of


    Alec and Kade, and boy was it hard to keep my eyes off of them. The two of them continued looking at


    me, having their own hushed conversation inbetween nces. Cameron gave me an apologetic smile


    as she walked away, and I nodded once in her direction.


    Grace, Autumn and the other girl were seated at their own booth, not much farther from Garrett and I.


    The restaurant was feeling much too small. My own personal h**l would beplete if Melissa and


    Frank walked through the doors. With how this afternoon was going, I wouldn’t be surprised by


    anything.


    Tori came out with our food, setting it down in front of us gingerly. I looked at the white alfredo sauce


    and tried not to breathe too deeply. My stomach was in knots, making me feel nauseous and somewhat


    sick.


    “You alright?” Tori murmured down to me, her eyes flickering from Alec’s table to Grace’s.


    “Yeah.” I breathed out, “I’m good.”


    Tori didn’t look convinced. She could see through my b******t from a mile away–yet she didn’t question


    me. I was beginning to appreciate her subtly more and more.


    “Friends of yours?” Garrett asked, his head tilting over to where Alec and Kade sat.


    I shoved some food in my mouth, taking my time to chew and s*****w before answering.


    “No.” I shook my head, “Not friends.”


    “Boyfriends?” Garrett raised his eyebrow, looking much more ufortable.


    The word ‘boyfriend’ got Alec and Kade’s attention, but it also got Grace’s as well. It felt like every d**n


    person in the restaurant was looking my way, waiting for my answer. I had never felt so much silent


    pressure in one room before.


    I looked at Alec and Kade from the corner of my eye. Both were staring at me, the same expectant look


    on their face. They looked like they were ready to leap from the table ande to my side, all I had to


    do was say the word.


    Grace on the other hand looked livid, while Autumn looked kind of sick.


    “No.” My voice was quiet, “Not boyfriends.”


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    My voicecked conviction, and was unconvincing.


    “I just go to school with them.” I struggled to keep my voice even, keeping my eyes far away from


    Grace.


    “I see.” Garrett nodded, unconvinced but satisfied by my answer.


    I hurried with my dinner, scarfing down what I could as though I hadn’t eaten in months. I sighed with


    relief once Tori brought the check. Garrett refused my offer of money and paid himself, leaving Tori a


    hefty tip.


    Garrett headed towards the front of the building, while Tori pulled me aside.


    “Cameron said that’s your Dad?” Tori’s jaw was slowly dropping, her eyes locked on Garrett.


    “Yes.” I huffed, not surprised that Cameron told her. “His name’s Garrett.”


    “I expect a detailed phone call tonight.” Tori grimaced, pulling me in for a hug. “I can’t imagine how


    you’re feeling right now.”


    I nearly wanted to burst into tears right then and there. I never had someone say those words to me


    before. All physical affection I’ve received in my life hade from my Grandma. I never had someone


    besides her simply pull me into a hug or console me. The simple action made me want to bawl and


    confess the horrible week I’ve been having. For my own sake, I remained strong. Now wasn’t the ce


    to break down. I could break down all I wanted once I was alone in my bedroom.


    “I’ll call you tonight.” I replied hoarsely, blinking the tears away from my eyes.


    Tori gave me onest squeeze and let me go, rushing to the back to grab the rest of her table’s food.


    Just as I turned to walk away, a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. The sensation that crawled over


    my skin waspletely unexpected. It felt like tiny pleasurable pin-pricks, or little moving sparks


    running down my skin. Kade looked up at me in shock, his hand still lingering on my wrist. Alec noticed


    the look of rm on his brother’s face and reached towards me slowly. His hand connected with my


    forearm, trailing lightly down to my hand. The same unmistakable feeling ran through me. It felt like


    when I was a kid and decided to put a piece of cutlery in a wall outlet–only less painful and more


    pleasurable.


    Something was burning holes into my skin and I turned to meet Grace’s furious eyes. The spell was


    broken, my attention was no longer on theforting sensations grazing my skin.


    “Talk to us, doll.” Alec frowned, his eyes widening with concern as I struggled to pull myself from their


    grasps.


    My eyes were glued on Grace, and the sheer m****r that seemed to be rolling off her in waves. Fear


    pulsed through me, remembering the night she had me drugged. Her rage filled eyes locked me in


    ce, making it hard to hear what Alec and Kade were saying.


    “I need to go.” I scrambled, yanking my wrist from their grasp with more strength than I thought I


    possessed.


    Kade’s grip on me was released with little struggle. Neither of them had been holding me tight enough


    to prevent me from escaping.


    As I scrambled from the restaurant, I allowed myself onest nce at Alec and Kade. I told myself this


    was my goodbye. I couldn’t tell them out loud, but onest look wouldn’t hurt.


    When I turned and looked at the two of them, their eyes were locked on Grace. An innocent look


    adorned her face, while the two of them looked downright murderous.


    ‘Nothing happened, nothing happened.’ I murmured to myself, ‘They don’t know anything. Grace will


    make up some excuse. It’ll all be fine.’


    From the look on Garrett’s face, he saw what happened back in the restaurant. I was eternally grateful


    that he kept silent the entire car ride home. I didn’t want to talk about what happened, and I didn’t want


    him to ask. I was tired of all of these people pretending they cared about me. First Melissa, and now


    Frank. As far as I was concerned, the only person allowed to care about me was Tori. I wasn’t even


    going to bother thinking of Alec and Kade.


    The more I argued with myself internally, the more the annoying voice in my head decided to speak up.


    ‘Between the two of us, you’re definitely more annoying.’ The voicemented, letting out a chuckle.


    ‘Great.’ I mumbled to myself, ‘Now the voice in my head is making fun of me. Taking self deprecating


    humor to a new level.’


    ‘I’m not you, Aurora.’ The voice huffed, rolling it’s eyes.


    The more the voice called out in my head, the easier it was to picture what it looked like. It was a girl,


    just like me. Her eyes were mirror images of my own, and yet she didn’t look like me. Her hair was


    extremely dark, almost ck. It was short and straight while my hair was long and wavy.


    ‘Then who the h**l are you?’ I grumbled, regretting entertaining the voice.


    ‘I thought you’d never ask.’ The voice huffed, ‘You can call me Thalia.’