“He was like a sperm donor or something?”
“No. He was just … virile.”
“I’ll say.”
“You were three when he died.”
Her upper lip curled, and her nose scrunched. “My mother was eighteen when she got pregnant with me.”
I nodded, letting her do the math.
“So that means my father was in his eighties when he got her pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“I’m kinda grossed out by that.”
“Maybe that’s why she never told you.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking maybe she blocked that out. An eighteen-year-old fucking an eighty-year-old.” She shivered.
“Your father is—”
Laikyn held up her hand. “No. Don’t tell me. Not yet.” She turned and paced. “Maybe not ever. I’m not sure I want to know.”
Well, if that turned out to be the case, we were going to have a bigger problem on our hands.
* * *
Jinx
After I calmed myself down, I tooka shower. As hot as I could stand it. I stayed in until the sting wore off.
By the time I got out, I was sweating, and Waldo was still on my bed, camped out for the foreseeable future. He was watching me, and I knew he was waiting to see if I was really okay. I was. Mostly. The fact that I couldn’t make my voice work again bothered me. I obviously had the ability to talk, but even when I focused, nothing came out.
I nodded toward the door, signaling Waldo that we needed to go out there. Like a snail, he slid down from the bed as slow as molasses, as though I might change my mind before he got to the door. He was a lazy one, that was for damn sure.
I took a deep breath and ventured out into the hallway. I didn’t bother locking my door. It was pointless now. Laikyn had seen the paintings. She knew the truth even if she didn’t know the facts.
Expecting to hear raised voices and arguing, I panicked a bit, worried Laikyn and Rule had left.
With his doggy eyebrows lowered, Waldo looked at me like I’d lost my mind. He turned his attention toward the back of the house, and his ears perked. A good sign.
I waited to see what he would do. When he finally trotted toward the backyard, I ventured out into the living room.
Laikyn and Rule were squared off near the pool. She had her hand up like she was telling him to stop talking. Her voice wasn’t raised, but that didn’t mean anything. Rule delivered his most terrifying words when his voice was low. Maybe she did, too.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said, her tone rife with sorrow.
I felt a tightness in my chest. An ache that resonated due to my feelings for this woman and her utter disappointment in us. We had failed her. I knew we would all along. Even with the best intentions, we’d kept things from her and shouldn’t have.
“I need some time, Rule.”
I moved closer.
“I don’t want to leave,” she tacked on quickly. “I just need time to process.”
A huff escaped as relief swamped me. It must’ve been loud enough for them to hear because Rule and Laikyn looked toward the house. I stepped forward, not wanting them to think I’d been eavesdropping.
