Reapers - Thirteen Brothers

XXX - Change of Heart (1 of 2)

"Dad?" I finally managed to say after hearing Marcel say hello three times. Closing my eyes, I pressed the phone closer to my ear as if doing so would instantly transport me to Dad's old house.

In front of me, Vincent was on his bed, facing down like he always did when he was dozing off. Then he turned his head to me and closed his eyes, seemingly asleep. It was thoughtful of him to finally let me talk to Dad.

"Aramis? Is that you?" Dad sounded surprised and somehow relieved. His voice seemed tired, almost distant that I only realized now how much I wanted to see his face. I heard him sigh deeply. "Look, I'm really sorry about-"

I interrupted his apology. "It's okay, Dad. I know you didn't know what you're doing. I just want to tell you that I'm not mad at all and that I just... I miss you." My voice cracked a bit, my lips quivering. "But I can't go home yet."

There was a heavy pause. "Maybe it's... for the best," he choked. His voice left a wrenching feeling in my chest. "I don't know what's going on with me but I can't trust myself to keep you safe anymore. Can I at least visit you?"

My mouth opened but no words came out. Still in bed, Vincent opened his eyes and shook his head as if he heard what my dad said.

Why don't I visit you instead, Dad? Say it. His voice echoed soothingly inside my head. It took me a while to process it but I did as he told me. Would he really let me?

"You know what? Why don't I visit you instead, Dad?" I mumbled hesitantly as Vincent nodded in approval. "I still don't know when, but I promise I'll drop by sometime soon."

"I heard you skipped school," he voiced out dubiously. "The guidance counselor phoned me."

Skipping school wasn't something I did before. Although I had never been exactly a student role model or in any way good at studying. I didn't want to lie. But telling him the truth would make things a bit too complicated.

How could I tell my dad that I would be dead by the end of the year? That I was already dead so it wouldn't really matter. It would break his heart. It was unfair, for me and my mother to leave him alone in this world. Whoever was pulling the strings up there could only be a total whack job. Or a sadist.

"I had a bit of a fever..." I began, sounding more convincing than I had expected. "But I'm okay now. Don't worry about me, Dad. The doctor said I could go back to school tomorrow and Vincent's family is taking good care of me."

"Are you two-" He hesitated then carried on. "Anything serious between the two of you that I should know?"

"No... not like that, Dad." The tips of my ears turned warm as I heard Vincent snigger quietly burying his face on the pillows. "He's a... a very good friend."

"He's a good kid," Dad chuckled like he meant it for the first time in years.

An involuntary smile pulled up the corner of my lips. Funny how we could talk like this now when I couldn't even remember the last time we had a real conversation. And of all people, we were talking about Vincent. All those years, I thought Dad didn't care about me. That I was with him, only because he had no choice. Or that he was scared Mom's ghost would haunt him if he tried to ditch me in the middle of a crowded supermarket before running off to another state.

"Yeah," I mumbled nodding. "Too good for his own good."

That's the best compliment you can think of? Try harder! Vincent's mental laughter filled my head.

For a while I couldn't hear anything else even if I tried. Ugh. He was distracting me again. After shaking my head out of the momentary daze, I threw him an irritated look and tried to focus on what my Dad was saying.