Page 76 of Veiled

House locked up and comfortable clothes on, Aiden and I sit down to go over everything we’ve learned since we've been in Seabrim before making a plan for tomorrow.

“We know we need to get into his office in the city.”

He nods. “We have the address now,” thanks to the business card Aiden got from Greg, “but this is definitely the part of our test where we’ll have to find a way past security to get up to the eighth floor.”

“I might have an idea to get the guard out of the way, but then we need to find a way to get into his office,” I say.

“I couldn’t find a badge or key, but I can pick the lock as long as it’s a standard doorhandle lock. If it’s a scanner or anything tech-based, we’re screwed.”

“Okay,” I sigh as I try to put it all together. “So, we need to get to the city early in the morning before the traffic kicks up. We need as much time as we can get to find the drive, do the drop, and get back to Scion.”

“Yeah. So, what’s this plan of yours?”

I fill him in on the details, and once we’ve worked out some backup plans, just in case, we head to bed.

When the lights turn out, I feel like I can finally relax, but then Aiden breaks the silence.

“Hey, Ana?”

“Yeah, Ace?”

“What made you concerned about Greg earlier? You never told me.”

How did I not think that he might ask about that later? If I tell him the truth, it will open up too many questions about me. As much as this weekend has felt so real, I can’t forget that he’s still Lucas’s best friend, and Lucas will use anything to torture me that he can.

“Oh, it was some weird comment about Greg never bringing work home with him. The way she said it left a weird taste in my mouth is all,” I’m afraid he’ll know I’m lying.

“Such strong instincts. I hope for her sake, she’s okay.”

“Yeah, me too,” I say and curl up in the blankets a little tighter.

I wake with a jolt, gasping for air. It takes a whole minute for me to realize Aiden isn’t in bed next to me anymore, and I should be relieved he isn’t here to witness another nightmare, but a part of me—one I don’t want to listen to—wishes he was. Wishes he would pull me close and make it all fade away.

Tonight it wasn’t my last night at my dad's like it so often is. Tonight, it was an older memory from when I was thirteen or fourteen.

Flashback.

Hunched over the breakfast bar, sweating as I work to finish my end-of-year posterboard for my history presentation tomorrow, I’m wearing shorts and a tank top, but they’re still too hot for this heat wave we’re going through.

I hear my dad's boots drag across the hardwood floors before I see him stumble into the open kitchen.

“You ruined everything!” His voice slurs, thick and venomous. “It’s all your fault she’s gone! She never even wanted you, but I wouldn’t let her get an abortion. I thought you were going to make us even happier. But you just ruined everything, didn’t you?”

I don’t answer.

“I asked you a question!” he shouts.

My heart pounds in my throat, and before I can react, he’s already at the stove, yanking the pot of boiling water off the burner and throwing it in my direction. I try to move, but it’s too late. The scalding water and noodles splash across the counter, some landing on me—burning, searing, too hot for my bare skin.

I scream, the pain shooting through me like fire, but that only makes him smile before his anger sets back in.

“You’ve always been too much to handle,” he sneers, looming over me. “Chasing that neighbor boy around. Coming home dirty. She didn’t even want to go out in public with a little slut like you! You just couldn’t behave right for one gods damn minute!”

“Matt is my friend, Daddy! We—”

I try to explain, but he cuts me off, his face twisting with rage. “Don’t you talk back to me!”

Slap.