Lying on my bed, I stared at the blank ceiling while my alarm blared through the room, letting me know it was time to start getting ready for school. Thanks to the sleeping pills, I had gotten some sleep, despite the scene that went down the night before. Gavin told Marla everything. I couldn't believe it. There was no telling what was going to happen next.
After five minutes, I finally got myself out of bed, turned off my alarm and got ready for school. I dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and an oversized grey sweater. I tied my black hair into a knot on the top of my head and applied a minimal amount of makeup. My baby-blue eyes looked more alive than they had the morning before, which was a good start. I didn't need anyone asking me any more questions.
Gavin and I didn't talk much as we ate breakfast and drove to school. I was angry at him—that much was clear. As soon as Gavin parked the car in the school parking lot, I opened the door to get out, but he stopped me. "Kason is driving you home today," he told me. "I have a fight right after school."
I sighed. "Doesn't he have to be there at the fight with you since he's your manager?" I questioned, sounding bored.
"No," he replied. "He's just training me."
I nodded and didn't bother replying before I climbed out of the car and walked toward the front doors of the school.
#
All day, I waited for a moment that I could talk to Marla alone, but it was challenging. She was always with her brother, Aria, or Gavin. Fortunately, on my way to my last class, I spotted her alone at her locker. I took that chance, knowing it would be my only one. She spotted me just as she closed her locker door. "Hey."
"You aren't going to tell anyone, right?" I asked quietly. "What my brother told you?"
Her lips curled into a kind, assuring grin. "Your secret is safe with me. Although, I do have to take your brother's side; I think you should tell the others. And maybe go to the cops?" she suggested. "You both are in serious danger from what I've gathered."
I didn't react. "We are still weighing our chances," I told her, making sure I kept my voice down. "I don't think anyone else needs to know yet."
She furrowed her eyebrows, making it clear that she disagreed. "You actually died last time before your brother was able to do CPR on you," she reminded me. "You lost your pulse for nearly a minute...I think you need help...next time it might be worse."
Even if she was right, which I refused to admit, telling more people what was going on in our lives would just put them in danger, too. I wasn't going to let innocent people die because of a monster in mine and Gavin's lives. So I ignored Marla's suggestions and opinions, and walked around her, finishing my route to my last class. I knew I was stubborn, but I had good intentions.
#
"Where are we going?" I asked Kason, realizing we weren't going toward the street we lived on. Though, it didn't surprise me. This wasn't the first time he was supposed to take me home but ended up taking me somewhere else.
I watched him take a deep breath, his mesmerizing blue eyes remaining on the road in front of him. "We are going to a care center on the edge of town." He sounded nervous and scared of my reaction.
I tried to keep my expression calm and assuring so he wouldn't be as nervous. "What for?"
"To see my mom." His words shocked me. I had wondered where his mom was, but I didn't assume that I would find out anytime soon. And now that I was, I didn't know what to think. I opened my mouth to come up with a reply, but he beat me to it. "She has dementia," he explained. "She was young to develop it, but it's getting closer and closer to the worst...sometimes she doesn't even recognize me."
"And you're taking me to meet her?" I asked quietly, not knowing what I did to deserve the honor.
He nodded, glancing at me. "Yeah, I am." I didn't respond. I was honored to meet his mother—I really was—but I couldn't believe that he trusted me enough to share this part of his life with me. We only met a couple of months ago.
We didn't speak any more until we reached the care home. My mind was wired with questions. What was his mother like? Did she have Lucy's thin blonde hair and their alluring blue eyes? Would she recognize Kason when we arrived? Would she be weirded out by him bringing me to meet her?
As we climbed out of the car in the parking lot, nerves were cartwheeling in my stomach. Kason seemed to notice because he chuckled as we walked through the front doors. "Don't be nervous. She'll love you."
Taking a deep breath, I walked beside him as he made his way to the front desk and was greeted by the lady sitting there. "Kason." She had long brown hair that was braided down her back and big brown eyes
He smiled and glanced at me. "This is Lydia. Lydia this is Kristen."
I smiled kindly in her direction and she mirrored my expression, before raising her eyebrows at Kason. "It's been a while since you've brought a friend."
He rolled his eyes and dug around in his jean pocket before pulling out a large wad of cash. After handing her money, he scratched the back of his head. "It's more than usual because I won't be here next week. I'm going on a trip with my friends."
She nodded and typed something on the computer beside her and placed the money in a locked drawer below the counter. "No problem. You're ahead on the bill anyway."
He nodded. "Is she in her room?"
Kristen shook her head with a small smile. "She's in the back garden with her caretaker. Go left and it's the door at the end of the hall."
He nodded before leading me down the route she directed us. "I fight so we are able to pay her bills. If I didn't, we wouldn't be able to get the help she needs," he informed me, walking outside to the garden.
"But your dad is a police officer," I recalled. "How is he okay with that?"
I heard a sigh escape his lips as he scanned the garden for his mother's face. "He doesn't know. He thinks I'm a caretaker for a rich man that pays really well."
I didn't know how to reply, but luckily I didn't need to because then his feet started moving again, toward a middle-aged woman on a bench with a younger woman. Once we were closer, I got a better look at them. The woman on the bench had blonde hair that was thin and brittle, and she had dark-blue eyes that were nearly as fascinating as Kason's. She had a small frame, quite the opposite of Kason's and reminded me a lot of Lucy. The woman beside her was a few years older than me and Kason and had pale skin and red hair that was brushed back into a low bun.
As we walked up to them, both women looked up at us with a smile. "Kason," his mother greeted him.
By the bright smile on the boy's face, I could tell he was thrilled that she recognized him today. He hugged her tightly and a long moment later when they pulled away from each other, the red-haired woman excused herself. Once it was just the three of us, his mother turned to me. "Do I know you?"
Smiling, I shook my head. "No, but I'm a friend of Kason's," I informed her, holding out my hand for her to shake. "I'm Lydia."
She grinned widely and pushed my hand to the side and pulled me in for a hug instead. The gesture caught me off guard, but it made me admire her in a way already. "You can call me Nora, Lydia." As I nodded, we pulled away. She offered the seat next to her to me, but I insisted on Kason to take it. After a small argument, he did and then clasped his hand in his mother's. I knew he wanted the seat all along, he was just too nice to say so.
"Kason, you've never brought a friend to meet me before," she said.
He shrugged. "This one I knew you'd want to meet," he told her.
I blushed uncontrollably, not knowing exactly what his words meant to him, but I knew that they definitely meant something.
***
So, you've now met his mom. There will more of her next chapter:)
Also, sorry there is only one chapter this week. I've been working every day and have hardly found any spare time to write. I hope you understand.
What do you think Kason meant when he said: "This one I knew you'd want to meet"??
Is Lydia in the wrong for not wanting to tell anyone else about their real intentions there??
I hope you enjoyed this chapter:) If you did don't forget to VOTE!
Thanks for reading!
~Emily