I take my eyes from Chase, settle them on Nan. “I’m going to head back to work tomorrow.”
Nan doesn’t gasp outwardly, but I see it flinch through her. She steps toward me. “Are you sure you don’t need a little more time, sweetie?”
I’d already started shaking my head. “From what?” I ask, my shoulders falling with a shrug, feeling unwanted tears rising to the rim of my eyes. “I’ve seen it all now, Nan.”
Chase coughs, and when I take my eyes back to him, I watch something cold, something terrifying settle across his face.
He drops his eyes to Nan, allowing a little warmth in, only if not to scare her. “I’ll take her to and from.”
“Bullshit—” I start, just as Nan claps, defusing my anger.
“Laiken, you will accept Chase’s…”
I scoff, but Nan ignores it, turning to Chase instead. “And you, youwillmake sure my granddaughter is safe,” she says with defeat.
Chase’s eyes are on me, and when he tries to speak I cut him off with a laugh I don’t recognize. It pushes through my teeth like tiny razor blades.
“Like he did three years ago, Nan.” I pause for impact, and Chase’s jaw clenches. I don’t have to look hard to know he’s grinding his teeth. A small vein pulses at his temple. “When he fucking stabbed me…” I press my hand to my chest. “And leftyouto deal with me bleeding out.” I shove away the tear that falls down my cheek. “He’s not who you think he is. He…keeps proving that.”
My voice comes out cold.
Empty.
And even though I’d stupidly given him another piece of me yesterday, at my core, I despised him.I always would.
I’d never forget that Chase Keller had severed me at the vein.
Laiken storms out of the house, intentionally slamming the door behind her.
Nanna June flinches, and moves away from me.
Her knobby, frail fingers are curled around the top of the fabric chair. She tries pulling it back with no success. So, I reach for it, helping her settle in, then I take to the chair at my side, dragging it up, and resting my elbows on my knees.
She raises her eyes, the same glossy green as Laiken’s, glistening back at me.
I wanted to follow Laiken, but I knew I owed it to Nan to answer her questions first.
“What happened between you kids?”
I chew on my fist, keep my eyes on Nan’s. Today, there were no more seats for vacant, empty lies.
“I did some pretty bad things, Nan. Some pretty terrible things; I needed to protect her from who I’d become.”
I know my words render her speechless, especially when she starts to shake. “We’ve all done terrible things, Chase.”
“Not like this,” I counter.
Silence settles, then lifts.
I reach out to wrap my fingers around hers, only for her to take mine instead.
“You might think you know what is best for my granddaughter.” She pauses, her small, soft voice cracking. “But I was the one that heard the cries…I was the one that listened to them.”
I bite into my bottom lip, deciding to test my luck. “What did they tell you?”
Her hands do their best to squeeze mine, though her grip is weak.
“It’s you, Chase Keller, you are what she needs.” She lifts my hands, brings them to her mouth and plants a timid kiss on them. “It has always been you,” she repeats in a whisper, placing her palm to the top, sealing the gift of her words,the truth,between us. “Take care of her, would you?”
