Zari.
The car ride to my parents' house was quiet and I did not mind. I needed this quiet to wrap my head around what just happened, it all seemed to have happened so quickly. Like everything else in my life, it's always the truth comes out quicker than the lies.
As the street became more familiar the more relieved I became. I would finally be home we're I knew I wouldn't be lied to and treated like actual family.
"You know he did that to protect you right?" After a long silence in the car Cairo spoke.
"Protect me how?" I arched my brow. I really wasn't in the mood for him to take up for his brother. "He should have told me from the start how everything worked, and maybe just maybe things wouldn't have ended this way."
"That he should have told you but come on at least cut him some slack."
I snapped my head in his direction and scoffed. I rolled my eyes and decided to not take my anger out on him.
"You're only protecting your brother, so I'm not going to be angry with you; but don't you say cut him some slack when he was the one slacking on me," I waved him off and watched as the gates opened. Cairo drove up the driveway and parked behind an unfamiliar car.
"You know we can't protect you when you're not with us," Cairo looked over at me.
"That's absolutely fine. I was never fully protected if you ask me," I shrugged as I got out the car. "Don't worry, as soon as Thanksgiving is over, I'll be completely gone, so y'all won't have to worry about my safety. If I die, I die maybe it's about that time anyway," I squinted my eyes at him as I closed the door.
"Zari don't say that you know we'll always protect you no matter how far, even if we have to physically move there," Cairo rolled down the window and sighed.
"Right," I backed away from the door and walked away from the car. "I'll say my final goodbyes after dinner, but you should go now."
Cairo squinted his eyes at me.
"What about the babies?"
I shrugged my shoulder and smiled to myself, "They were my pride and joy, at least we had them before things got really out of hand, and I will forever love them. Bye Cairo."
I continued to walk up the pathway to the red front door. I glanced over my shoulder at the top step to see that Cairo finally drove backed out of the driveway, leaving me alone.
Taking a deep breath I walk to the door, but before I could knock the door flew open revealing my confused father.
I looked up at him and smiled lightly. My nerves were acting up and I felt like I was going to throw up. His stare made me uncomfortable, like I wasn't welcomed.
"Zari?" His deep voice cracked. His eyes turned a slight shade of red as they swelled with tears. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it.
I stood there as I watched him break down silently. At that moment I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know if I wanted to cry or be happy to see him.
I haven't seen my parents in over a year and to finally see one of them made my insides erupt.
"Is that really you?" His massive hand reached out to touch my cheek.
I smiled lightly and nodded my head once, "It's me."
He grabbed me and brought me into a bear hug. The warm scent of my pops brought back so many memories of just him and I that I finally broke down into his arms. I've been through so much that I forgot how much I really needed my pops.
"I'm so sorry pops," I honestly felt bad for what I have done to him, but was it really my fault? How could I explain that I've been on the run from demonic people that wants be dead because of a demonic prince love for me? Sounds weird right?
"Shh, don't say anymore. All that matters is that you're home safe and sound," He kissed my forehead and pulled me into the place I once called home.
"Honey who was that at the door? You've been out here for a very long time." The one person I couldn't get along with came from around the corner and stopped when she seen me.
She looked between pops and I a couple of times before she stared at me. Her eyes were swollen and red as if she were crying, but her face shown no emotion.
There was silence between us all before she cleared her throat and fixed her head high.
"Look at what the cat came dragging in," She scuffed. "A daughter who played dead for years and now is finally back from the dead," She folded her arms across her chest and raised a brow.
I wiped my eyes with my thumb and mocked her reaction and scuffed as well, "You don't know what I've been through to get here, so you can cut that bogus ass attitude for once."
"Oh," She placed a hand on her chest. "I need to do what? When you think you can just prance your dingy ass back into my home thinking that everything is going to be all cakes and roses?" Her voice raised. "I think the hell not Zariana, for all I care you can go back to where you came from, or maybe do all us a favor and actually die."
I tilted my head to the side and chuckled. I have a lot of built up anger that needed to escape and I'll gladly let her have it all.
Before I was able to step in and give her what she was asking for pops came from behind me and raised his hands to her. The loud sound of skin to skin contact echoed throughout the house as a whimper from her lips soon followed.
"Apologize to our daughter Yvette. Now I have never, ever raised my hand to you to harm you in anyway, but for fuck sake!" His deep voice boomed throughout the house, causing me to jump and for her to flinch.
"This is our damn daughter and to wish death on her when you were just not so long ago crying your eyes out because you missed her is pathetic! When Darrin came home just a few hours ago you welcomed him in with open arms, but when Zari comes in, you're basically giving her your ass to kiss? What kind of mother are you!?" His face twisted in disgust.
Hearing Darrin's name I became nervous. Was he here, in this house? I looked around the entrance of the house and towards the stairs. My heart dropped when I saw him standing at the very top with a devilish grin on his face.
Sighing deeply, I looked towards our arguing parents and placed a hand on my dad's shoulder.
"Look it's okay, the feeling is mutual, but I'll go if there is a problem because I been through to damn much to deal with an angry bitter bitch."
"Language," He looked back at me with a stern look on his face. "This is your home and that is final."
"Yeah, little sis stay so we can all be one big happy family again," Darrin smirked as he made his way down the steps. I took a step back while shaking my head.
"Darrin stay away from me."
Everybody looked at me as if I was crazy, but Darrin and I knew exactly why I'm telling him this.
"Darrin what did you do to your sister?" Pops asked.
Darrin sighed and wiped his face, "When I was trying to bring her home earlier, she kicked and screamed thinking that I was trying to kill her or something," He shrugged causing pops to turn at me with shock on his face.
"I think she was hallucinating off of some synthetic drug though because she was screaming for her ex-Chris and his brother Cairo, when we haven't seen them since we all got kidnapped," He came up to me and hugged me tightly. "It's okay little sis, big bro got you."
I stood there in shocked as he just lied on my name. He knew that's not how everything went down.
"Zari are you really on drugs?" Pops asked me still in shocked.
"You better play along," Darrin whispered in my ear.
I pushed him off me and stared at him with disbelief.
"No Pops Darrin is a fucking liar. You know damn well I am not on drugs Darrin."
"No need for the foul language Z, if you're on drugs you know we can help you," Pops stepped in to place a hand on my shoulder.
I couldn't believe he's actually believing in Darrin right about now. I have not once taken any kind of drug in my life.
"Pops I am not on drugs I can promise you that, and Darrin is lying, he was not trying to bring me home. He was trying to put me in harm's way," I mugged at Darrin, but all he did was smile.
"You're such in denial," He shook his head. "But it's okay. It's pretty late I think we should all get to bed and start fresh in the morning, like how we use to be."
"I think Darrin's right, we'll get some sleep and start fresh in the morning," Pops smiled weakly at all of us and made his way to his bedroom, leaving mother, Darrin and I standing around.
"You are no daughter of mines," She whispered as she turned around slowly and walked away.
"Watch ya mouth lil' bitch, I hope the cum I left on your pillow gave you an eye infection when I left," I spat back, even though I lied about the cum part, I had to say something that showed her that I'm really not in the mood to deal with her.
I watched as she paused for a second. She held her head high and disappeared around the corner leaving Darrin and I standing across from each other.
"That was a little harsh don't you think?" Darrin chuckled.
I looked at him and scoffed as I walked past him.
"You can't ignore me forever Zari, you can't ignore us once you're out of Chris' life for good all this would be all over," Darrin whispered as he walked behind me.
I got to my old bedroom and walked inside. I turned to close the door, but Darrin stopped it with his foot.
"Listen, I'm done with him and that family. After that Thanksgiving dinner I'm leaving so he can live a happy life with that Rahme bitch; so, fuck y'all and fuck you for being weak minded enough to let Chris and Cairo father get into your mind and control you. Even after I told you what he was doing to me," I looked him up and down and shook my head. "You mean nothing, and I mean nothing to me." I opened the door wide enough to push him back and quickly closed my door and locked it.
Even though a lock wasn't good enough, I still locked it to at least keep Darrin out. There was no telling what he'll try to do to me as I sleep.
I looked around the room and shook my head. So much unwanted memories came flooding back that I wanted to leave and never come back, but I knew that if I ran this would never end until I'm no more.
I had to think of something, but what?
I sighed heavily and took the oversized shirt off and threw it on the floor. I got into the neatly made bed and laid under the covers. I stared at the high ceiling hoping that sleep would soon find me.