The second we walk through the door, I see Zack sitting next to the fireplace engaged in a conversation with someone I can't see yet. The closer we get, the quicker I recognize the back of Aunt Kelly's head as they instantly look up with concerned looks on their faces.
Holy hell, what now?
"Kate!" Aunt Kelly leaps out of her chair and throws her arms around my neck. "I—I'm so sorry! So very sorry, honey." her breath catches and she whispers, "I--I didn't know."
I pull back because I have no idea what she's talking about but before I can ask she says, "Zack told me," her eyes look down and then back up, "he—he told me about John and, and," she stutters before finishing her thought, "what he did to you."
Wait a minute, is she talking about what I think she's talking about?
My eyes dart to Zack and the guilty look on his face says it all. He told her about Uncle John's perverted, late night attempts to have sex with me. I'm not sure if I'm more upset that he betrayed my trust, or if I'm simply mortified that the man I love is about to know, too. I can't allow that, I'm not ready for him to find out...not yet, maybe not ever. He'll think I'm some kind of freak or worse, just as big a monster as Uncle John himself. I have to convince Zack to take it back, I have to make him say he misunderstood me...yes, that's it, he heard me wrong. People make mistakes all the time. Besides, it's not like Uncle John ever got very far, and sometimes he was really nice to me. Well, when he wasn't staggering drunk.
But still.
"I don't know what you're talking about..." I get out, giving Zack my best "how could you" look. He walks toward me and I shift my eyes back to Aunt Kelly, "He's lying, he's always hated Uncle John."
"Kate..." Zack says so low it barely reaches my ears.
"No, it's a lie." I bite out, trying like hell not to look at Dominic, "He's never gotten along with Uncle John, you know that! And now, he's just being vindictive!" I shout.
Aunt Kelly's eyes are filled with tears as she silently pulls me back into a tight hug, the same tight hug she's so good at giving and I immediately fall apart, sobbing like a five year old kid.
"Oh, sweetheart, if I had only known," she whispers in a shaky voice that only I can hear, "I could have protected you."
My eyes are still closed as I imagine Aunt Kelly's arms are my mother's and more tears steam down my cheeks--but I can hear my brother and Dominic murmuring only steps away. I finally look up and see Dominic staring at me as Zack fills him in. The look in his eyes is pure rage but I can tell it's not directed at me. He knows and now his image of me is forever changed. He must think I'm damaged goods and honestly, I wouldn't blame him for wanting a re-do in the love department.
Swallowing a hiccup, I pull away from Aunt Kelly and the second I do, Dominic rushes over and takes me in his arms. "It is not your fault, Kate." he whispers, "You must remember that." his palms cup my face, "Your Uncle was already a monster before he was possessed by one," his words cut at my heart but the relief is somehow sweet because I know he's right. And now, the fact that Uncle John was so easily influenced by the Demon makes perfect sense. "You must convince your Aunt to allow us to interrogate him again. If the Demon is still inside him, he could still be of use to us." he says in a low voice.
"Oh, I give you my full permission," Aunt Kelly cuts in, obviously hearing Dominic's words even though they were meant only for me. "And I want to be there when you do." she bites out. "That son-of-a-bitch is already dead to me..."