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All the while I’ve been frozen in shock, the doctor has drawn Kaiden’s blood with ruthless efficiency and Mr Abbot is rubbing his hands together like an evil villain from a movie.
“I guess we’re done here. I’ll see all of you at my place for the results,” he says, heading for the door.
“No.”
That single command causes everyone in the room to freeze.
“No, son?” Mr Abbot scoffs, turning to face his son.
“No,” Axel repeats coldly. “We will not be coming to the house for the results. We’ll receive them here, on neutral ground.”
“You already insisted on using a neutral party for the tests because you don’t seem to trust me for some reason, surely that’s enough?” Mr Abbot laughs, but it’s humourless. He’s not happy about everything that’s happened today for some unknown reason.
“It’s not. I want the results read out here, by the doctor,” Axel insists. “AndI want to watch him unseal the envelope himself.”
Mr Abbot sighs like he’s indulging a petulant toddler, and then gives in like any tired parent would. “Fine.”
He leaves without another word, his two lackeys following after him, and the doctor excuses himself too.
Then it’s just me and The Holy Trinity left in the room. In the room where the silence is deafening and their betrayal is cloying. I need to get out of here. Thank fuck I have an Uber waiting, thanks to Lou’s insistence. She’s been amazing all week as I’ve slowly drip-fed her snippets of information. It’s been nice being around the other girls too, and great for distracting me, but there’s no denying that Louise has proven herself to be atrue friend and confidante, in a way that I don’t feel comfortable sharing with the others.
“Odi, please let me explain?—”
I don’t even dignify Kaiden’s pathetic attempt at reconciliation with a response; I just turn around and walk right out of there, even as they call after me.
They don’t follow though. I’d like to think that the bullet in Axel’s shoulder was a clear enough message not to fuck with me anymore. I keep it together as I stride through the hallways of the private clinic Axel hand picked for discretion and trust, out of the doors and over to the waiting car.
In the back of the Uber, I break down. On the inside at least. Fuck those boys. I wouldn’t shed tears over them. Only Rose gets my tears now.
Rose.
The pain of knowing she was in the next room but being unable to see her was unbearable. The General sure knows how to twist the knife right in deep. That was agony. And an unnecessary cruelty on his part.
Ididn’t do this to him. I didn’t reveal that Rose isn’t his, or ask to be raped by…by anyone. I’m not the one who deserves to be punished here.
I just want to see my daughter. To hold her in my arms, to feel the weight of her. To kiss her and catalogue all the ways she’s grown and changed. I want to bury my nose into her hair and inhale her scent. Does she still smell the same? I swore to myself I’d never forget the way she felt and smelt, but it’s already a distant dream that I wake from with a wet pillow.
I fall apart.
Because I can. Because itdoesn’tmake me weak. Because my heart is breaking all over again. And each time I get myself back up, dust myself off, and rebuild it, there are slivers missing and the darkness is beginning to show through the cracks and holes.
How many times can a heart be mended before it won’t work anymore? Or should I be asking how many times it can be broken before the damage is irreparable?
I don’t want to find out. I don’t want anyone to view that as a challenge. I just want my daughter back and some peace.
By the time we arrive on campus, Lou is ready to meet me at the curb, and she’s pulling me into a hug the second I exit the vehicle.
“Shit, Odi, what happened?”
“They wouldn’t let me see her.” I swipe at my face to remove the traces of tears, but my skin still feels tight with the dried salt. Like when you get out of the ocean, but this time there’s no escaping the sadness I’m drowning in.
“Oh, hun. Come on. Let’s go out and get drunk.”
I shake my head. “Kaiden said—actually, fuck him.” I’ve stayed in all fucking week and I’m way overdue a change of scenery. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
Louise turns my ass around right there and deposits me back into the Uber, climbing in behind me once I scoot over.
“Take us to…ah shit. I’m guessing you don’t want to go to P’s?” she asks apologetically.
