Bloodline [h.s.]

thirty-one.

BRIDGET GALLAGHER

"What can I do to help you clear your father's name?" I asked. The words must have come out in a foreign language because his face was blank.

"Your dad is dangerous, and he isn't afraid to hurt you. When you were taken and he receive a message saying to confess or let you die, he had zero intention of confessing. You knowing who I am is a risk of it's own. That alone puts you in danger of Kai, your dad, and god knows who else." He said.

The quicksand of guilt I had been sinking in was too much. It compressed my legs and pressured my chest. The only relief in reach was to fight back.

"I don't care if it's dangerous. He hurt you."

"You to leave this to me. I will answer whatever questions you have, but you have to stay out of it." He said sternly. When I didn't respond, he lightly gripped my arm. "Promise me."

"I promise." I muttered.

Deep grey clouds above us darkened his features. As his expression softened, I licked my lips, tasting the remnants of rain and the salty manifestation of pain that fell from my eyes.

"Nick and everyone else who knows about me don't know I told you. I'll let you decide what you want to do. All I ask is that you give me a warning if you are going to tell anyone else."

"I won't tell anyone. No one will know you told me anything." I assured him before standing up to leave.

His hand pulled me back, "Wait, are we... do you think you could ever forgive me?"

"I-I think we should take a step back for a little bit." I choked out, forcing the word passed the nagging ache in my chest.

"What do you mean?"

A new element of desperation laced itself into his words. It wasn't until he asked the question that I realised I had no idea what I was doing. The worried eyes in front of me was so different from three days ago. The trees in the forest irises I had gotten to know so well were now unfamiliar.

Everything felt so wrong as if my bones wanted to escape my body. The aftermath of what he did contorted my reality and bent my morals. I didn't know where I was planning to sleep tonight, let alone where our relationship stood.

"I don't know," I said cautiously, "You should focus on Abigail for now. I'll walk back with you."

We walked back to Abigail's room in silence. I felt a growing distance between us, eating at me. There were a million things I wanted to say him but couldn't, knowing it would make matters worse.

My mother was waiting outside Abigail's door for me with an unreadable expression. Out of habit, my hand nervously reached for Jacob's...er– Aiden's, and he held it without hesitation.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I need to speak with Jacob," she turned to him.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"I'm afraid it's not. Alec and I are worried that you are filling Bridget's head with lies about our family. I think it's best if you two take time apart." She echoed my dad's manipulation.

"He hasn't said a negative word about you or Dad. I have been staying with him because he has been nothing but supportive of what I've been through lately. It's not because of you." I said in the fake polite tone she taught me.