“He’s not, sweetheart.”
“Why not?” she demands.
“Because I asked him not to. He’s not the man we thought he was, Zoey. It’s best if he’s no longer a part of our lives,” I explain patiently, but every word feels like a lie on my tongue.
“I don’t understand,” she counters, her own eyes starting to water, and the sight only adds to my misery.
“I don’t want to go into too much detail, but you just have to believe me that we are better off now that he’s gone. Maybe when you’re older, I’ll be able to explain the things I found out about him. Maybe then you will see why I asked him to leave,” I plead, hoping she will drop it so my already fragile heart won’t break further.
She hugs her knees up to her chest and stares at me with understanding in her eyes.
“I know why. He told you what he did, didn’t he?”
“What? What are you talking about, Zoey?” I murmur, wondering if my sister knows more than I thought she did. Fear has me sitting up as I anxiously wait for her to elaborate.
“I remember,” she starts, pretending to pick invisible lint from her pajamas. “I remember the day you told me to run into the field so Dad couldn’t hurt me. I remember it like it was yesterday. You told me to run, but I didn’t. I hid and watched you walk up to him, his mean grin plastered on his face. I saw how you confronted him, trying not to look at Gage’s body on the street. I remember it all.”
“Oh, Zoey.” I clasp my hands over hers, pushing her to cuddle with me on the couch. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. If I could, I’d take those memories away from you so you didn’t ever have to think of them again.”
“I’m glad I remember. Watching you confront my father so bravely made me want to be more like you. You made me want to be fearless, to look every monster in the eye and not be afraid.”
“I was very afraid, Zoey. I was so afraid that he would catch you and do to you what he did to our brother and mother. That’s where my bravery came from. It was all because of you,” I tell her, hugging her close.
“That’s not all I remember, Layla. I also remember what happened next. I saw everything. The black car driving toward you. The driver’s window being rolled down and a gun being pointed at Dad. I saw the bullet that hit his skull. And then I saw his shotgun also fire a bullet into you. When you fell down onto the cement, it was the scariest thing I ever saw. But then the driver rushed out of his car and grabbed you, and I thought he was going to try and take you from me too. So I came out of my hiding place and ran to him, punching him in the leg to make him let you go. After he put you in the back seat, he dropped to his knee to look me in the eye. He told me that he was there to help us. He said he was going to take you to the hospital and that I should come with him. I remember, Layla. I remember all of it. I remember that man was our Ric.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me this?” I question in utter shock.
“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “You seemed to want to forget it all, so I tried to do the same for you. At first I thought it was all in my head, that I must have imagined it all, but the more time I spent with Ric, the more I remembered. He saved us that day, and it’s been Ric who keeps saving us. He will always be here to save us, don’t you see?” she implores, her voice earnest.
“Even if that means he has blood on his hands?” I ask, wanting to know my sister’s truest thoughts. She may be young, but she has survived more than most adults and has an intelligence that rivals even my own.
“No one’s perfect.” She shrugs, and then she gives me a genuine smile that fills my heart with hope. “But Ric is perfect for us.”
CHAPTER23
Alaric
The folder feels heavy in my hands as I stand at the front door, ready to open it before I remember. Instead, I knock, wanting her to see I’m really trying. This is her house, not mine. In the divorce papers I’m holding, I made sure she would see that. I’ve made a savings account for Zoey, which I will add at least ten thousand dollars a month into, and a current account for Layla, so she will never have to worry about money. She gets the house. I have even bought her a new car, though she doesn’t know that yet. That way she never has to rely on me or public transportation again.
I want her to be happy, to have everything she ever dreamed of or wanted.
I just wish it were with me, but I know that can’t happen.
The door opens, framing Layla. She’s wearing a beautiful flowing white dress with blue flowers dotted across it, and she steals my breath just like every time I lay eyes on her. The dress cascades like a waterfall down to her toned thighs, and it’s cinched in at her curvy waist with her breasts pushed up. It’s clearly new and expensive, and she looks fucking amazing in it. Yet I can’t help but grin when I see her feet bare. Layla will always be a mix of the old her and the new.
“Hi,” she greets shyly. “Come in.” She turns away and wanders inside. I follow her into the kitchen where she grabs a mug. “Do you want coffee?”
“No, thank you.”
For fuck’s sake, Alaric, why did you say no?
Oh yes, because every moment in her presence is torture, knowing I can’t touch her, kiss her, have her.
She’s not mine anymore, and I have the papers to prove it. I wish I didn’t, it hurts, but it’s what she wants, and I would do anything to make her happy. Nodding silently, she faces me, her hands fidgeting with the dress as she looks me over. When her gaze lands on the folder in my hands, she stares.
“I have drawn everything up. If you have any changes, let me know. I’ve also marked the places to sign to make it easier for you,” I begin, but when she continues to stare, I frown. “Bab—Layla, are you okay?”
Her shoulders lift almost absentmindedly as she turns away, but not before I see the tears in her eyes which she tries to cover. “Sorry, I’m fine.”