Vicious Minds: Part 2 (Children of Vice 5)
Page 123
Rising, I faced Declan, who sat there still frozen in what I was sure was memories and moments he wanted to hold on to instead of reality. Kissing the top of his head, I whispered the same thing I told him when he first arrived, “It’s not okay. But we are going to make it anyway.”
Releasing him, I looked at Helen, who hugged herself, tears falling from her eyes like streams.
“Forgive him for being heartless about this,” I said to her.
She said not a word, walking back to the bed and lying down beside her mother’s body.
Forgive all of us.
DECLAN—AGE 32
“What are you reading now?” I asked, jumping on the bed beside Cora
.
“Wuthering Heights,” she replied, not even looking at me as she read and stuffed a brownie into her mouth.
I frowned. “Who died?”
“Huh?” She finally tore her gaze away from the page and gave me her attention.
“Who died?” I asked again. “You hate Wuthering Heights. You only read it when someone dies. So, who died?”
“I do not read it every time—”
“Do you want me to the list times you’ve done it?”
She made a face at me.
“Whatever, shh. I’m reading,” she grumbled.
“Fine,” I said, annoyed she was ignoring me again for a book. “I’ll leave you to your depressed, whiny, spoiled English characters.”
“Thank you,” she huffed, flipping the page.
Pursing my lips for a moment, I watched her read. I knew it annoyed her, but she’d gotten used to ignoring me even more. So, I reached between her face and the book for a brownie.
“Declan.”
“Hmm,” I said innocently as I took a bite.
She huffed and then just nodded to herself. “Fine, you want my attention. Here, read.”
“No—”
“Read!”
I grimaced. “I hate this book, too, you know?”
“That’s what you get for bothering me.”
“Can a husband ever really bother his wife with his attention?”
“All the fucking time.” She laughed.
Snickering, I gave her my brownie and took the book. Like always, she lay on my chest and leaned back on the pillows.
“Your veins are full of ice water, but mine are boiling, and the sight of…ugh can we pick another book?” I begged. “Not all of us double majored in English.”