Before Hayden could even react my dad ran over towards me with open arms. "Khloe, I'm so sorry this happened. Your mother called me immediately."
Although I loved and appreciated my parents, I couldn't understand why they would keep me completely in the dark. My whole life I've felt left out and they know that.
I stepped away from my parents. "How could you?" I practically screamed. "Why didn't you tell me anything about Luna? I had to find out from some police officer! It seems like he's more apart of this family than I ever will be."
"Hayden Ross?"
I turned around and Officer Giovanni was standing behind me. "What?" My eyes widened as I spun back around to look at Hayden. "Why does Hayden need to be questioned?"
Hayden got up from the chair and walked over towards me. "Luna called me."
My eyes widened once more. "She did what?"
Hayden looked nervous. His eyes were red, and he looked tired. "It's okay, because it'll be over now." Hayden mumbled before he walked away, and followed Giovanni into that suffocating questioning room.
Once Hayden was gone I looked over at my parents completely dumbfounded.
"Come sit down, Koko. Your mother and I will explain everything." Dad said softly, tugging on my wrist.
I let out a heavy sigh as I pulled a chair out in front of my parents along with Andrew.
"I feel horrible, Khloe." Mom cried and Andrew rubbed her back gently. "I feel like I've failed Luna as a mother."
My jaw dropped. "What? No you haven't." I shook my head. "None of this is your fault. I'm so sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry about." Dad smiled as he looked over at me. "We should have told you the minute we realized."
"When did you realize?" I questioned, because I thought that I was the only one who noticed Luna's strange behaviour. My parents were always too busy trying to fix their marriage, I didn't want to put more stress onto their shoulders. "I thought that I was the only one who noticed Luna's psychotic behaviour."
Dad shook his head. "No, your mother and I noticed it too."
My eyes shifted between my parents. "When exactly?" I questioned. "I'm going to need to know more than just that."
Mom shrugged her shoulders. "Just before your father and I got a divorce, we started to notice her behaviour shift."
I nodded my head slowly. Now, this makes a lot of sense. If Luna thought that our own mother cheated on our father, it would make sense that she would be very upset and act out. "Yeah," I nodded my head. "It's because Luna thinks that you cheated on dad."
"That's when she really started to act out. Your mother and I had to sit down and really have a conversation about her strange behaviour. But that wasn't when it started, that's just when we realized. Luna would act up when she was younger too, but we thought she would grow out of it."
"Maybe you should have gotten her help sooner." I mumbled casting my eyes down onto the ground. "She was always manipulative, but when we were younger it was worst because I believed everything she practically told me."
Mom shook her head in shame. "I know and I feel ashamed, Khloe! She's always been so self centred, only really cared about herself. It's like she can't see past herself. She isn't the only one who really matters in the world."
"When people get in her way... it's a horrible situation to be in." Andrew mumbled and I looked over at him. "She envy's people. She envy's you Khloe, and she envy's your mother. That's why she held hatred towards Alicia and I."
Mom nodded her head. "When Luna was eighteen years old we decided enough was enough. One day she came home very angry. Your father and I asked what was wrong and she wouldn't stop yelling. She kept saying that I was the reason why our family was falling apart. She said that she saw me with another man and that's why I was leaving your father."
"What?" I said, completely stunned. "But did she see you with any other men?"
Mom shook her head quickly. "No, of course not! It was a completely insane idea. This was way before I even met Andrew."
"We took her to a doctor and they diagnosed her with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It's a disorder in which people exaggerate their own sense of importance. She takes advantage of others to get what she wants, and then she becomes very angry when she doesn't get what she wants. But behind this mask of extreme confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism." My dad shook his head. "To be honest, I wasn't shocked at all. Since your mother and I couldn't watch her, we sent her to a mental hospital so that she could get the help she truly needed." Dad sighed. "A few months later, she was better and she was taking her medication. That's when your mother and I decided that we should take her out of the program and give her a chance at life. She went to College to become a doctor, and we thought everything was fine. That was it."
Everything was starting to come back to me. There would be many weekends when I wouldn't even be at home. My parents always sent me to my cousins house. I would ask them why and they would tell me that they were busy with getting Luna ready for school. They said that they were looking for apartments, but in reality they were looking for the right program to put Luna in.
"Okay, Luna finished her program, she was taking her medication so you actually bought her an apartment and everything went smoothly?"
At this point in time I was already living alone with my mom. Luna must have been put in the hospital right before our parents got a divorce.
We were all packing. Mom and I were going to live together and dad was going to live on his own. The only thing is that Luna wasn't actually going to live on campus.
"Exactly," Mom nodded her head. "I would check in on her often to make sure she was fine, while she was living on her own."
I cupped my face in my hands. "I can't believe that I never thought anything of this. All the times you wouldn't let me see Luna, and how for a few months she would only come home on holidays." My relationship with Luna was falling apart because she rarely ever called me, but now I truly know why. "I just feel completely useless right now."
Andrew frowned. "Don't be, Khlo. When I first met your mother, she didn't want to tell me anything about Luna's mental health issues." Andrew's eyes filled with tears. "It's my fault because I knew how Luna felt about Alicia and I, but I still let her into my house. It had been over a year since she got out of the hospital, so I truly thought that she was better. She told us that she was taking her medication, but I knew something was wrong. Next thing I know my daughter is missing."
Andrew was falling apart and I felt horrible. I watched as mom wrapped her arms around Andrew's shaking body, and I looked over at my dad feeling completely useless.
"Let's give them some space, Koko." Dad mumbled and I nodded my head in agreement. I stood up and followed behind him. "I will always be blessed to be able to say that I have two daughters." Dad's hazel eyes looked right through mine. "We all just have to realize that Luna is very sick. I'm not making any excuses but she's my daughter. A lot of people see her as a monster, but when I think of Luna, I think about the simpler times. I think about holding her in my arms when she was born. I think about her pink skin, and I think about her soft cries." Dad shook his head. "The Luna we once knew might still be there, but right now we have to accept the fact that nothing will ever be the same. She will be locked up for a long time."
At this point I was crying. I was crying for Luna, I was crying for Alicia, I was crying for my parents, I was crying for Andrew, and I was even crying for myself.
Dad saw my tears and wrapped his arms around my body. "Don't cry." He whispered. "Life is very hard sometimes but that's what makes us strong. They are going to find Alicia, and then Luna is going to get the help we could never give her."
My dad and I stood there for a while. We just stood there, with his arms wrapped around me and my arms wrapped around him, until I heard footsteps.
I gently dropped my arms and turned around to see Hayden walking towards me.
I smiled at Hayden then looked over at my dad. "Dad, are you okay?" He nodded his head slowly as a sad smile crawled onto his lips. "I'll talk to you soon, I promise."
"Of course." Dad mumbled as he walked away.
"Khloe?" Hayden said softly. "I'm so sorry, I have no idea what I was thinking when—"
Before Hayden could even finish his sentence, I wrapped my arms around his body. He froze against me but within the next few seconds he hugged me back.
"You don't have to be sorry about anything." I said quietly. "I'm so sorry for being so insensitive, it's my fault."
Hayden let go of my body gently as he shook his head. "No." He mumbled, "I'm so sorry about Alicia. I could have done something to stop this."
"How?" I tilted my head. "What did Luna say to you when she called?" I questioned. Hayden rubbed his chin and he instantly looked uncomfortable. "Hayden, this isn't your fault, you can tell me anything."
Hayden let out a heavy sigh. "She called me early this morning. It was really early, maybe.... six in the morning?"
"Why did she call you so early?"
Hayden shrugged his shoulders. "She had a plan. I don't know, on the phone she sounded really frantic. But basically she told me, that she was going to do something, that would change her life forever. She wanted me to help."
"What?" I gasped as my hand went over my mouth. "Oh my gosh."
Hayden nodded his head. "I already blocked her number, but she called me from an unknown caller ID. I usually don't answer calls like that, but I did this time, and I completely regret it."
I shook my head. "You don't have to regret anything. You talked to the police and everything will be fine. This just proves even more that she helped Cadence take Alicia."
I sighed heavily as I rubbed my eyes. I was tired. Everyone was tired. It was currently almost four in the morning. I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up, with everything back to normal.
"Khloe!" I turned around and dad was walking towards me with Lisa following closely behind him. "Hayden's parents are here. He needs to go home."
Hayden looked over at his mom and then his eyes found their way back to me. "I'll see you later, Khloe." He smiled slowly as he placed his much bigger hand in mine. "Everything will be okay. I'm always here for you, despite what I said at school yesterday."
I nodded my head slowly. "We need to talk about that." I mumbled, because it was true. We couldn't exactly avoid the topic forever. I heard what Hayden said loud and clear. I knew he was very upset at me.
"Sure." Was the last thing Hayden said before he walked over towards his mom.
Once Hayden and his mom were gone, dad threw his arm over my shoulders. "You need to come with me."
"What about mom and Andrew?"
Dad shook his head. "Despite what you think, Koko you'll always be my child and you need to sleep. You're coming home with me until they find Alicia."
"Fine," I sighed as I walked over to mom and Andrew. "Please call me if anything happens."
"Of course." Mom nodded her head. "Andrew and I love you Khloe. We'll see you later."
"Bye." I smiled sadly before I walked away with my dad.
✼ ✼ ✼
"Khlo, I was so worried about you yesterday!" Kiera yelled into the phone. "I'm being completely serious, I couldn't even sleep at all yesterday. I'm praying for Alicia, she's such a sweetheart."
By the time I actually got to my dad's house it was already five in the morning, and now it was currently twelve in the afternoon. I was still lying in bed with the sheets wrapped tightly around my body. "I appreciate you so much, Kiera." I smiled slightly. "Did you hear anything from Yasmin or Xander?"
Kiera was quiet for a second. "No, they're not at school today, again. I have no idea what's happening. It just sucks that Yasmin couldn't put her differences aside for you. I mean.... your sister is literally missing."
I shrugged my shoulders even though Kiera couldn't see me. "I don't blame her." I suddenly thought about school and what everyone must be saying about my family. "What are people saying at school?"
"Khloe... everyone is super sympathetic. It's horrible what happened to Alicia, and my heart is breaking for her. Obviously, it's pretty confusing when people hear that Luna King is the suspect, but some people don't even know that Luna is Alicia's step sister, because they don't have the same last name."
"I know." I nodded my head. "But everyone knows who Luna King is."
"It doesn't matter, Khloe. You shouldn't worry about that too much right now."
"You're right, Kiera." I laughed at myself. "What would I do without you?"
Kiera laughed lightly. "You would be completely loss without me."
"You're right about that." I smiled softly.
Kiera sighed, "Lunch is going to end any second now. Noah and I love you, and we'll see you as soon as possible."
"Bye, I'll see you soon." I mumbled quickly as I hung up the phone.
I was very disappointed to wake up and find out that Alicia was still missing. I felt like a part of me was missing without her. There were no words to describe just how scared I was for her safety.
Mom and Andrew went back to the house for a few hours just to change and to get freshened up, but they still got little to no sleep.
I got up slowly and walked over to my bathroom to get ready for the day. I brushed my teeth, washed my face and attempted to brush my hair out.
I didn't have many clothes at my dad's house, but I was lucky to find a pair of denim jeans along with a over sized t-shirt.
I was honestly just grateful because I didn't have to go to school today. I'm sure I wouldn't be back there for a while. I was going to stay with my family until Alicia was returned back home.
It had been seventeen hours since Alicia went missing.
As I walked down the stairs I could hear multiple voices. I knew dad said that Jules might be coming over but who else was here?
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I could almost immediately tell that the mysterious voice that I was hearing, belonged to Hayden Ross.
"Good morning..."
Everyone turned around to look at me but Jules was the first one to speak. "Hello sweetie." She smiled as she got up to give me a hug. "How are you feeling? I'm so sorry."
I shrugged my shoulders as I sat down at the table, eyeing Hayden. He looked a lot better today. His curly hair was in place and his smile was bright. "I'm okay, and I see we have a guest."
"Ah, yes," Dad nodded his head as he placed a plate of food in front of me. "Hayden came here for you, Koko." I glanced over at Hayden quickly as my eyes widened. "I just can't believe he was the little kid that lived beside us all those years ago. It was amazing to see Lisa and Michael after all these years. I just wish it was under better circumstances."
Hayden nodded his head. "I was just telling your dad and Jules, about how bossy you were when we were younger."
I almost choked on my food. "We've been over this, Hayden." I laughed. "I wasn't bossy at all. I was just a shy girl."
"That's right." Hayden smiled. "You were shy but you were also sweet."
I was blushing, and I could see dad and Jules were looking in between Hayden and I with wide eyes. Before anyone else could say anything, I shoved more food into my mouth and looked over at Jules. "Jules, did you cook this? It taste amazing, and I know my dad has never been the best cook."
Jules laughed loudly. "Yes, I did." She nodded her head. "I thought that I should do something special, to make you feel better."
I barely knew Jules, yet she was a very sweet woman. "I appreciate it a lot." I smiled brightly at her. "Thank you so much."
✼ ✼ ✼
Once I finished breakfast, I wanted to go back home, but my dad said that wasn't allowed. They wanted me to do normal things even though my own step sister was missing.
I guess that's how Hayden ended up in my room.
"How did you even know where my dad lived?" I asked looking over at Hayden.
"It's a long story." A charming smile formed onto Hayden's lips. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."
I thought for a second. "We never really talk about the past, Hayden." I suddenly said.
Hayden looked over at me. "I know." He said, but he seemed nervous.
My lips turned down into a frown. "I care about you too Hayden." I blurted out and Hayden looked over at me in shock. "I really do appreciate the fact that you stood up for me. It's just funny because I've literally known you for most of my life, but this is the closest we've ever been. I don't know how you could actually think that I would forget about you. When we were much younger maybe ten or eleven, we would talk almost everyday. You were funny, and I remember how you always made me laugh." I paused. "Until one day everything changed. You just stopped talking to me, and it really hurt. I watched you almost everyday at school. Sure you would smile at me once in awhile, but I could tell that there was something wrong." I shrugged my shoulders. "I figured it was because Luna was prettier than me."
Hayden looked very regretful. "I'm so sorry, Khloe." He mumbled as he placed his hands over his face. "I'll tell you the truth if you let me."
• • •
oop this chapter is kinda boring, sorry lol. it'll be more interesting next week. anyway, make sure to vote and comment. love you all.