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“Did you talk to my dad?” I ask in a small voice. If they were at home, they must have seen him there, and I have no idea if they saw his good side or his bad side.
“That’s what we’re here to talk to you about,” Winters says.
Cooper is very quiet, his face solemn.
“My dad?” I ask, confused. I’m not sure what this has to do with my dad, unless they’re blaming him for what I’m doing here.
Officer Winters takes a deep breath and glances at his partner before he looks at me.
“Your father passed away, Raina.”
I blink at him. “What?”
“A call was made by a mailman who noticed something seemed off. He found your father in the house.”
I swallow hard. “He’s…dead?” My ears start ringing, and I feel strangely numb. “How?”
“He overdosed,” Cooper says. “I’m so sorry we have to be the ones to break it to you. Do you have anyone you can be with during this difficult time?”
I shake my head. It’s just me now. It’s always been just me. Since my mom died, I’ve been the only one looking for myself, but now, it’sreallyjust me.
My dad is gone, along with the strain, the pressure, the threats, the blackmail, the abuse.
A sensation of relief floods through me.
He’s gone.
“Do you have anyone you can turn to?” Winters ask.
I glance up at them. “No, but I’ll be okay. I…” I don’t know what else to say. I know I’ll be okay. I’ve made it this far, no thanks to that bastard, and I won’t struggle now that he’s gone.
The officers exchange glances again. They don’t believe me. They think I’m going to be racked with sorrow, and I’ll have no one to help me through. But I’ll be fine, more than fine.
“Here,” Cooper says, taking a card out of his wallet and handing it to me. “This is a grief counselor. If you need to talk to someone…call her.”
I take the card from him and nod. “I will.”
“Take care of yourself, Raina,” Cooper says.
We all stand, and they look reluctant to leave. But they can’t stay; they’ve done their job. I need a moment alone to process all of this.
I sink onto the couch again and rub my fingers across my forehead. My dad is dead. I have no idea where I’m going from here. I don’t know how going to a college that I’m not enrolled in will change my future. But I know that I’m moving forward, no matter what, and the deadweight that was dragging me down is gone now.
My mind runs through everything that happened the last couple of days, and I remember a foggy night a few days ago. Stone, looking for a fight in a crappy pub but not finding the right lowlife, and me in his room when he came back. The affection, the care.
It all adds up, but I don’t like what the answer is.
I leave the communal area and nearly bump into Lacey on the way out.
“I was just coming to see if you were okay,” she says. “Raina, what’s going on?”
I know if I don’t tell her the truth, she’ll speculate with her friends, and that will be much worse.
“My dad died,” I say.
“Oh, my God.” She clasps both hands to her mouth before she grabs me into a tight hug. “I’msosorry.”
I wriggle free from her grasp. “I’m fine.”
