Secret Scars ▷ Embry Call [1]

FOUR

★★★★★

FOUR; GLOSSY EYES

     A SUDDEN SILENCE encased the Thompsen home after Blaire and Caleb's argument the previous night.

     Dahlia finally got Blaire to rise from her position and leave the kitchen. Tears were still streaming down her face but she tried to push them back. She had never cried so much in her whole lifetime, but with everything occurring lately, it was pushing her towards her breaking point.

     There was a broken connection with his daughters that Caleb never figured out.

     Blaire, somehow, always knew her father was not rooting for her. He was set on waiting for Dahlia to succeed. She never allowed this issue to bother her in any way, but it sometimes hurt to know her only parent did not make her his top priority.

     She didn't know if it was because she didn't show enough bravery like Dahlia did, but she tried her best. She never picked a lot of fights in school — before Embry's disappearance she didn't anyway — and she excelled at being the top student in every class. Blaire didn't know how to become the perfect daughter Caleb wanted. She didn't want to chisel herself into becoming Dahlia because her sister wasn't her. Blaire was her own person with a separate personality, but she guessed she wasn't the correct description that Caleb sought out for in his children.

     And she wanted to mention this to him. She wanted to cry for his attention, but she still maintained her dignity. She supposed there was no proper use, anyway, for Caleb was never around much. He worked hard to stabilize a happy life for his two daughters because it was what Audrey would've wanted. He was continuously thinking about what his wife would've wanted, never focusing on the fact that his daughters felt neglected.

     So Blaire was envious of teenagers who complained about their parents. She despised her fellow classmates who would whine about their parents suffocating or not giving them space. She wished she had a parent who cared enough and loved their two daughters equally instead of favoring one over the other.

     Blaire mentioned the topic to Dahlia once. The youngest sibling just laughed, insisting her sister was being silly. Caleb, although he rarely showed it, cared about both of them equally. Dahlia said that Blaire should accept their father for who he is because even if he wasn't around much, they should be lucky that they still have a parent in the first place. Dahlia had plenty of friends who lost their parents in some tragic accident. She was grateful that Caleb was still around to put food on their plates.

     It was easy for Dahlia to say. She had a numerous amount of friends at school, and she always had a best friend by her side. Blaire felt abandoned. Jake and Quil were scared to speak to her because of her recent outburst with Paul Lahote, and her two best friends were nowhere to be seen, both refusing to come in contact with her. She was becoming lonely and everyone was acting as if what was happening with Embry was okay. As if completely ditching his best friends, growing several inches, getting a tattoo, and becoming a recluse was totally fine. Nobody seemed to care that what Sam Uley was doing is wrong.

     She knew she wasn't overreacting to the incident. He's been her best friend since birth. If anything, she should've been angrier. She should call Chief Swan and have him inspect the case.

     However, for now, she was going to try and see him. She was going to do whatever possible to ensure that Embry knew his feelings weren't one-sided anymore. She hated that she needed him leaving her to realize what she lost, but she wanted him back. She wanted to rid him of the toxic he was accepting from Sam.