There’s a softening in there.
Something I never see him offer anyone. Not even Lev and I whom he considers his legacy.
I face the tree again, not wanting to see that expression.
Jonathan is probably playing one of his tricks and I won’t fall for it.
“She died trying to find you,” he continues, plunging the knife deeper. “She died without seeing your face. Four hours, Aiden. She remained in pain for four fucking hours.”
“Are you getting to a point any time soon?”
He rips his gaze from the tree as if it pains him. “Have some fucking respect to your mother and quit playing house with Steel.”
“I’m not playing house. I’m —”
“Enough.” His voice is cold and unnegotiable. “End it. I want it to be humiliating and painful so she’ll come into her power as a shell.”
My left eye twitches, but I ask in a calm tone. “What if she never becomes a shell?”
He’s a fool if he thinks he’ll be able to break Elsa.
She’s the strongest person I know.
But just because he can’t break her, doesn’t mean he can’t hurt her.
“Let me worry about that. You only need to do your part of the deal, Aiden.”
Silence falls down between us as we stare at each other with ide
ntical eyes. “Or what?”
He approaches me so he’s looking down on me. “When I say end it. You fucking end it, do you hear me?”
I meet his harshness with mine. “Or what, Jonathan?”
“Or I’ll end it myself.” He throws one last glance at the tree as if he can see Alicia’s ghost and heads to the car. “You have until tomorrow.”
Fuck him and his tactics.
As long as I’m around, no one will hurt Elsa.
Jonathan included.
As soon as the car door slams shut, I briefly close my eyes and face the tree.
“Maybe you’re right, Alicia. Maybe I shouldn’t have been born, huh?”
32
Elsa
Aiden doesn’t text me back.
I stay up all night, trying to do homework, but all I do is watch my phone like a maniac.
Chaotic thoughts barge into my mind all at once, and none of them are good.
I hated that he went with his father. However, when he texted me in his usual crude way as soon as he got into the car, I thought things were okay.