The Secrets Last Stand
:.Hayden's Pov.:
As dad had promised, someone came for Ian. Someone also came for Lowery. Kody had calmed down and was just blankly staring at nothing. I didn't know what to expect when the guards showed up to pick him up but I wasn't expecting what happened.
"Kody, come on. They need to take him now." She just calmly nodded and stood up and watched them leave. I was afraid she was going to have a fit. I was expecting screaming and crying and throwing but she didn't, she just silently cried, biting her thumb nail. Once they were gone, we went home.
Once we got home, Kody disappeared into her room and wouldn't come out. I just sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea. I didn't know what to say to her that would make any of this better, then I realized there was nothing that would, so I didn't bother her.
Dad came home soon after we did.
"How is she?" He asked, taking off his jacket. I got up to put my cup in the sink.
"Not good. She's been locked up in her room since we got back." I answered, leaning against the counter and crossing my arms. He just nodded and looked back towards the bedrooms.
"Well, it's finally over." He said. He sounded a little disappointed.
"Yeah, but at a cost." He looked back at me. "Dad, Kody is heartbroken. She just lost Ian and..."
"Don't you think I know that? I know how bad she's hurting. In case you forgot, I went through the exact same thing two months ago. Hayden, I just...I don't know what to do." I wanted to say something but he stormed out of the house. I just went into the living room and watched television.
:.Kody's Pov.:
I don't remember falling asleep, but I welcomed it like someone welcomes the sun after a long awful winter. There was no pain while I slept. I didn't dream but it was better than being awake, aware of the pain I was forced to endure when I finally did wake up. It took all the energy I had to sit up and when I did, I felt like there was a rock in my chest and in my stomach. It was like I weight two thousand pounds. I could hardly bare it.
I looked at my nightstand and saw a picture of Ian and I from when he first moved in with Hayden and me. He was trying to teach me how to play poker but no matter how hard he tried, I just couldn't learn. Just when I thought I was out of tears, more came. I slammed the picture down and manifested a bottle of whiskey. I downed half the bottle in a few minutes. I don't know if...
There was a knock on my door and I just looked up as Hayden walked in with a plate of food. I tried my best to smile but severely failed.
"Hey, I don't know the last time you ate anything so I thought you might be hungry." She said, setting the plate on the bed. I merely looked at it.
"I'm not hungry." I said, standing up. When I was finally upright, my whole body felt like it was full of cement. I felt extremely heavy but the more whiskey I drank, the more the cement seemed to break away. Soon the bottle was empty so I manifested a second one. I was already feeling the effects.
"Kody, what is drinking half your bodyweight in alcohol going to accomplish?" Hayden as I was chugging the bottle. I finally stopped to get some air before turning to face her.
"I don't know. Maybe I'll die of alcohol poisoning." I answered. She just dropped her head in her hands and groaned.
"Kody," She said after a moment, then she stood up, holding her hand out. "Give me the bottle." She didn't move until I handed it over. I was already numb so I didn't care. I sat back down on the bed and tried to breathe but it seemed like my lungs forgot how.
"I need to talk to dad." I said, standing backup. I ran to the hole that used to be his bedroom door and I looked inside.
"Kody, he went out. I don't know when he'll be back." Hayden said. My breathing started to quicken and fresh tears began to fall. I wanted Ian. That's all I wanted. But I couldn't so I needed to learn how to live without him and dad was the only one qualified to help me.
:.Hayden's Pov.:
I swear, my sister was going crazy. She was drinking, her behavior was erratic, and I don't know how much longer she could take this.
She ran around the house, looking for something, I'm pretty sure it was dad. Finally, she just collapsed to the floor and sobbed. I just watched as dad came home and saw her like that. He had a few grocery bags in his hands and he sat them down as he helped Kody up. He walked her back to her room and put her to bed before coming back.
"What happened?" He asked me.
"I'm not even sure. One minute we were talking and she was...somewhat fine, and then she's going ballistic, looking for you." He nodded. "Dad, she wants to talk to you." He looked back to her room and walked back, opening the door and closing it behind him.
:.Kody's Pov.:
"Kody?" I heard dad call out from the doorway.
"I can't do this dad. I can't live without him." I cried as he sat on the edge of my bed.
"I know it's hard, Kody. Trust me, I know, but it does get easier. I promise. Just breathe once in a while." He said. How can this pain get easier? This feels like someone literally took my heart and ripped it right out of my chest. That kind of pain doesn't get easier, it doesn't heal. It doesn't get better.
"I can't breathe dad. I just can't. How did you do it, dad? How did you survive mom dying?" I asked. He took a deep breath and put a hand on my shoulder and started rubbing my back.
"Kiddo, these past few months have been awful. I will not lie and say it was easy because it wasn't. There were days I couldn't get out of bed. Hell there were times I didn't even know if I was going to survive the day." He answered. I sat up.
"How did you? Survive?" I asked. He smiled at me and shrugged.
"I just did. I take the days one hour at a time and on really bad days, I barely take it a minute at a time. That way, I can breathe, Kody. And as days go by, I extend the time to two hours at a time, or three or four. And soon, a day. Just do that and you'll make it. You'll get through this. I promise." I did my best to smile as dad kissed my forehead. He was right, I'll just take things a little at a time. Dad stood up and walked out. I looked at my phone and it was getting late. I was about to lay down and go to sleep when there was a knock on my door.
"Who is it?" I asked and Vincent poked his head in.
"It's me. I just wanted to talk to you for a second."
"Yeah, sure. Come on in." I sat up again. He sat down and I noticed he had a jacket in his hands.
"I, uh...I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I was such a jerk to him and I can't..."
"Vincent, it's okay. He already knows that. I'm just glad you two fixed things before he..." Vincent smiled at me.
"I miss him." He said and I could see the tears in his eyes.
"I do too. I can't believe how much I miss him." I said, looking at his hands. "Are you going someplace?" I asked. He looked down at the jacket and shook his head, handing it to me.
"Ralph gave it to me but I thought you should have it. It was Ian's." I slowly took the jacket in my hands and just looked at it. I had something of his now, something that was actually his. I brought the leather to my nose and smiled as I inhaled Ian's cologne. It was all I had left of him and I was going to hold on to it.
"Thank you, Vincent." He just smiled and left. I put the jacket on before laying down. As I rolled over to go to sleep, I felt something in the pocket. I reached in and pulled out a small black box. I opened it and found the ring he tried to give to me.
It was simple and beautiful all at the same time. It was a smaller diamond and I loved that, with even smaller diamonds around the band. It was simple and elegant and it screamed Ian. I took it out of the box and slipped it on my finger. He bought it for me for the future that we'll never have. The first time he gave it to me, it meant nothing, but this time, it means everything and that made life that much more livable.