After ✔

33

The minutes leading after the time I lay in bed with my eyes wide open, I try to think of all the good things my dad has done for Cayden and I. How much he's loved us and tried to give us the best.

But I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he didn't tell me.

That fact itself overpowers everything in my mind.

Who is my real father? Why had my mom slept with him?

This void fills my chest, growing from a bitter seed planted the moment I was told.

Who am I?

And I'm not trying to be some philosophical idiot. I just want answers, but I'm afraid I don't know the right questions yet.

Neither do I want to ask.

I think of Genevieve. Being twins, we could pretty much read each other's minds by the time we were three. What would she have done today? Would she have felt the same way?

But the dead are gone. It's only us breathers now, and we're barely alive as it is.

My phone suddenly rings. I ignore it.

Two minutes later, it starts again. It rings and rings until I think I'm imagining it, but the glow from my phone is the only thing illuminating my room.

"What?" I ask as soon as I pick it up.

"Hey Dani, what's up?" His mocking voice fills my ear.

"Huh?"

"Well you weren't going to say hi so I thought I would greet myself." He says.

I hear a few short taps in the background, then something falling to the ground. He seems to be busy.

"This... this isn't really a good time." I mutter.

"No!" He gasps. "Did your friend cheat on your other friend with that douchebag from the club?"

I can almost hear the smile on his face.

But instead of making me laugh or whatever he set out to do, my stomach just twists harder.

Maybe I'm just hungry.

"So what were you doing?"

Wallowing in self pity.

"Getting ready for bed." I reply. "Why?"

"Can't the best love interest ever ask the girl what she's doing?"

"Best love interest?" I make a face. "You've really let yourself go."

"I know." He sighs really loudly. "I was just bored."

I cross my legs, then uncross them after it gets too uncomfortable. Since when does Dani come to me when he's bored?

I scratch my forehead, wanting to direct my anger at him. Some days, it was like my existence didn't matter to him. Others, he treated me better than Clyde did Bonnie.

"It's not raining anymore. Why don't you go out and ponder upon life or something?"

"Will you join me?"

"Dani it's," I turn to the clock with narrowed eyes. "Eleven pm. Let me sleep."

"Here's the deal." He clears his throat. "Either you meet me at some shitty park in fifteen minutes or your phone won't stop ringing the entire night."

"I'll just turn it off."

"Then you'll be hearing rocks clanking on your window for the next eight hours." He pauses for a minute ehen something falls to the floor in the background. "Save me the prison visit for when your dad finds out."