Sweet Revenge [sample - now a published book available on Amazon!]

twenty four

"What happened?" Dad reenters the room swiftly. I move away from grandad, who is murmuring under his voice. I run my hands through my hair.

"I don't know! We were talking about Jared, and then he just flipped!" I cry, staring at my grandfather in disbelief. Dad sits opposite him and takes his hand, before whispering to him words I can't hear.

Grandad begins to calm down, taking deep breaths. His tears stop, and his eyes turn to me. "Grace, I'm so sorry." He says, a singular tear dripping down his cheek. "It's been years since that happened."

"I knew I was right to be worried." Dad says angrily. "You said it would be fine, Pops."

"Last time was so long ago, I thought I was fine." Grandad replies, pain in his voice. "My memories are fine, Rob, it's just a blip."

"It's not fine. You should have been more responsible, for all you knew Grace could have had a fit too!" He yells.

"She's not as bad as me, you know that." Grandad replies. I'm lost in confusion, my mind fixated on grandad's words. I didn't kill him, I didn't kill Jared! I know it was the scarred man, Dan, who killed Jared, and from his earlier words, grandad knows that too.

So why did he say that?

*

Dad and I return home after the nurses took over care of grandad. My visits have to be little and often, according to the resident psychiatrist. He told me I carry to many weighted memories.

I can't help but think that Dad is still hiding something from me. Grandads words are haunting me, and I think he was more involved in Jared's death than I've been led to believe.

But for now, I decide to leave it to rest, because Homecoming is tomorrow, and I think it's time for me to have some normalcy in my life.

As I walk down the corridor and into my room, I see that Kaidan's door is open, and he's working on his laptop at his desk. We still haven't properly spoken after the curb incident, and I am in no mood to speak to him today.

I glance at my Homecoming dress which is hanging by my wardrobe, reminding me that Pete is taking me to Homecoming tomorrow. Butterflies swoop in my stomach and I feel giddy. My phone buzzes and I check it.

Javi is doing our hair tomorrow for free!! 2pm, then we'll get ready at yours? A x

The text from Amber reads. I reply telling her that that works for me, before falling onto my bed. Wow. What an exhausting day. I close my eyes to take a nap, and it's barely been ten seconds before I hear a rap on my door.

"What?" I groan, before turning my head to see Kaidan at the door. I close my eyes. "Go away, Kaidan."

"I was just going to ask how you're doing. After the whole amnesia thing." He says, his tone awkward. My eyes snap open and I sit upright.

"Fine, no thanks to you." I snap, folding my arms across my chest.

"Gracie, I know I was out of line, okay?" His eyebrows furrow and he steps into my room. "I came to apologize."

I blink in surprise. Kaidan...apologizing? Surely not.

"Is this a joke?" I ask, and he shakes his head.

"I shouldn't have been such a dick. I was wrong." He says, and I can barely believe my ears. Never in my life would I have thought Kaidan would apologize to me.

"Well, today is a day of forgiving, apparently." I tell him, shrugging my shoulders. "So, we're good."

"Good." Kaidan says but remains hovering at my door. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You can go now." I say, before lying back down onto my bed.

"Gracie, you sound pissed." He says, before sitting down on the bed next to me. I groan and sit up again.

"No, I just want to take a nap." I tell him. "I've had an exhausting day." He sighs and looks into my eyes.

"You're my boss' daughter." He tells me. I frown at him, confused. Yeah, I know that. I may have amnesia, but I haven't forgotten that little detail.

"Your point is?" I question.

"Your dad is employing me. So, naturally, that makes our relationship tricky. That's why I get so angry when I have to look after you. I'm not here to babysit, I'm here for work experience." He says, and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Okay, are you apologizing or not? Because you just called me a baby, again." I snap, frustrated. Does that boy not know how to apologize like a normal person? Probably not.

"I am, I just wanted to explain. And I don't think you're a baby." He tells me seriously. A laugh bubbles out of me.

"Good to know." I laugh, and before I know it I'm laughing so hard that my stomach hurts. Kaidan looks at me like I'm crazy.

"You're weird." He says, a slight smile making his way onto his lips. I grin.

"So are you, Kanye." I wink at him, before continuing laughing. Kaidan rolls his eyes, and then a smile finally makes its way onto his face.

"I swear to god, Gracie." He chuckles.

"I knew I'd get to you eventually." I smile at him, and then we fall into silence. He stares at me deeply and my stomach begins to feel funny. But not in the way it does when I think of Pete; no. When I'm with Kaidan, my entire world stops. I forget about everything; Jared, grandad, the scarred man. They all go away. It's just me and him.

**