Page 67 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

“You’re not dressed suitably. Does Dad know what you’re wearing, and where the fuck were you? I can smell the alcohol reeking off you from here,” Jayce says icily.

My heart thuds as I watch the scene in slow motion, the situation escalating. I’ve seen it before; the hurt, the pain, the lashing out… I’m about to speak when Katara shakes her head, striding over to the door and about to brush past Jayce when he takes hold of her arm, disapproval written across his face as he looks down at her.

“I’m not done. Where were you all night?” he asks sharply.

“Like you care! You left, remember?!” she screams as she pulls free and storms down the hall. His eyes narrow as he turns, ready to go after her, when I run up to him, grabbing hold of his arm.

“Jayce!”

“What?” he asks, his eyes still blue as he glares at me. I shake my head.

“Give her space; she’s hurting and just needs patience…”

“I just want to talk to her.”

“I know, but not right now and not like that. You have to remember we all cope in different ways,” I remind him softly, yet firmly, as I block the kitchen doorway.

He’s about to argue when he clenches his jaw and turns away slightly.

“She’s only fifteen, and she’s dressed like a fucking-”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” I cut in quietly, my tone still gentle.

He looks at me, anger flashing in his eyes. “Why the fuck are you defending her?”

“I have and always will protect those around me if the need arises.”

“Yeah, I know that,” he answers almost bitterly. My heart clenches painfully at the irritation in his voice. “You’ve fucking changed.”

His words sting, but I don’t budge from my position in front of the kitchen door. “Maybe you just didn’t know me as well as you presumed.”

He opens his mouth; a flash of what might have been hurt flickers in his eyes, but it’s gone as fast as it came.

My heart constricts. Maybe if you did, you’d realise I had to go, or you would have had to pay the price.

“Maybe,” he says, before he places his hand on my shoulder and moves me aside with a gentleness that doesn’t match the rage in his eyes.

I hug myself, watching him return to the lounge before walking over to where the potatoes wait, peeling and cutting extra for Katara, too.

She’s an only daughter; it must be hard. I don’t have a sister, but I had Heaven and Allie, and sometimes you just need someone you can talk to. Someone your own age. The quints have one another.

Once the sliced chips are in the pan, I check on the lasagne and take out the salad and drinks from the fridge.

Leaving everything there, I head upstairs, finding Katara in her room. She’s freshly showered, and without her heavy makeup I can see the slight dark circles beneath her eyes. She’s sitting there, towelling her hair, her door open a crack, her eyes fixed on something on her desk.

I knock lightly, and she turns her chair towards me.

“Hey, I’ve made lunch, come join us in ten?” I ask, noticing she was looking at a picture of her mom.

“No, can I just grab my plate and eat upstairs if that’s ok?” she asks, all the hostility she had earlier towards Jayce gone from her voice.

“Of course, I’ll bring it up for you.” I turn to leave when she calls me.

“Sienna.”

“Hmm?” I say, turning back towards her.

She picks up the photo of her mom from the desk, clutching it tightly in her hand. She doesn’t speak for a moment, pressing her lips together in a tight line.