Inhaling sharply like someone had pumped air back into my lungs, I told her the truth. “You’re a terrible person, Donatella.”
“Which is why we’ve always been so close. Love you, Helen.”
“Love you, too,” I said emotionlessly, coldly, as I hung up on her, tossing the phone to the side. I laid there trying to figure out what happened last night, but I couldn’t remember. Sitting up, I stared at the Chi-burger bag before looking at the first aid kit, then the ground by my feet. Slowly it all came back to me.
“Oh, fucking shit!” I got up, putting my hands over my mouth. Praying to God my memory was warped by some weird dream I had. “Oh no…no. No. Helen, you didn’t.”
Looking around quickly, I nearly jumped over the couch for my tablet. Picking it up from the ground, I held it like it was a child. “Play video camera for midnight last night.”
I watched and then fast-forwarded. When I saw it. When I watched myself get up and kiss him, my legs went limp, and I collaps
ed onto the floor. “What have I done?”
Think, Helen. Think!
“Delete video from all severs.”
“Password needed.”
Placing my thumb on the screen, I watched it delete before letting the tablet fall out of my hands onto the floor.
“I’ve ruined everything.” I whispered to myself. What was going to happen now? He was going to act awkward! My parents…shit. No, he wouldn’t talk to them about this. Maybe he was drunk, too?
And I remembered why I was so upset earlier.
It was because I want Wyatt. I didn’t want to be taken away from my family. But I don’t want Wyatt to see me as family. I want to be a Callahan. But not a Callahan.
“I’m horrible person.” It was never about my biological father or family. My father is Declan Callahan. My mother is Coraline Wilson Callahan. I wouldn’t have changed that for the world. But I wanted Wyatt not to see me as his cousin. I wanted my biological parents to show up just to remind him I wasn’t his cousin. But he never stopped seeing me as his uncle’s daughter. That is why I was mad. That was why I left.
I’m a manipulative, selfish, violent murderer…who just forced herself on her cousin!
I have to fix this.
Getting up off the ground and going back to the couch, I picked up my phone, dialing before heading up the stairs to my bedroom.
“This is Helen Callahan in the penthouse suite, I’ll be leaving in a few hours. Have my car ready and call the maids. This place is a mess.”
WYATT – AGE ELEVEN
Lifting the cloth up, I stuck my head under to ask, “Why are you under the table?”
“Because it’s nice under here.” Her brown eyes were red like she was crying, but she sniffed, wiping them so I couldn’t see. I looked at both ends of the table before crawling under with her. “What are you doing?”
“You said it was nice down here. I want to see, move over.”
“Wyatt—”
“Did someone say something mean to you?” I asked, picking at the paint under the table.
“No.”
“So why are you sad?”
“I’m not sad.”
“You’re crying.”
“I’m not.”