I half expect him to spit in mom’s face. But her eyes flutter and they open. Her mouth forms an O when she sees him, but it’s a silent scream.
“Isaac?” Her voice cracks as he squeezes his fingers, and mom reaches up to claw at his hands. “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to see how easy it would be to get you out of mine and Etienne’s life.” He grins manically and I’m frozen in shock. I’ve never seen him like this before.
“Who is she?” Mom questions coldly. “Who is the whore you’re fucking?”
Dad laughs out loud, the sound reverberating through the living room. “Why? Do you want to suck my cock and taste her cunt on me? She’s far better in bed than you ever were.”
“Fuck you, Isaac. I never once cheated on you.”
“But you did…” Dad shoves off the sofa and rises, straightening his jacket. “You’ve been having an affair with alcohol since after Etienne was born. Don’t tell me you still love me.”
“Love is a figment of everyone’s imagination,” Mother hisses angrily. “You never loved me, Isaac, you loved the idea of having a perfect family.”
“There is no such thing as perfect.” Dad’s angry tone lowers. “Love is nothing more than a farce, and you, were nothing more than a means to an end. Luckily your son won’t grow up like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m moving to London, where I can be happy. And I’m taking Etienne with me.” Dad’s threat makes me shiver. I don’t want to leave my friends. I like being in Tynewood. Granted, I don’t like living with mom most of the time, but I can get over it if Ares and Tarian are here.
“Over my dead body.”
“Don’t make wishes you know I’m able to grant you.” Dad saunters off and leaves mom on the sofa and I race back to my room before either of them catch me. The pain in my chest is getting worse, and I know I’ll never tell someone I love them because I’ll only turn out like mom and dad.
And that’s something I never want to do.
26
Rukaiya
The bed dips behind me. I’ve been awake for almost thirty minutes, and as much as I wanted to go downstairs, the moment I opened the door, I heard the raised voices. Arguing always takes me back to a time that I’d rather not remember. A time when, who I believed, was my father and my mother would spend their nights having heated conversations.
“I know you’re awake,” Etienne murmurs in my ear, sending a cool shiver down my spine. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.”
I roll over to regard him. His eyes are filled with pain, and I want to take it away. I want to hold him and make him not hurt anymore. He reaches for my face, grazing his knuckles against my cheek.
“You’re beautiful,” he tells me, and there’s no snark in his voice. He means it. Honesty that’s so brutal and real steals my breath.
“Where did you go?”
“Thane and Yasmine were here,” he responds. “We had a bit of an argument. I walked out after a while, or I would’ve done something…”
“You would’ve hurt Tarian’s mother?” My voice is low, but I’m sure he can hear the shock that laces my words.
“Without a doubt,” he responds with ease. I don’t know why, but when I look at Etienne, I don’t see the violent person he appears to be. Yes, there’s always a danger that someone can turn violent, depending on a situation, or an event, but he always seems to be the calm one.
“I have to tell you something,” I start, unsure of what his reaction would be, but I know he needs to hear this. “I saw your mother with Yasmine. They were talking as if they were the best of friends.”
Etienne’s expression doesn’t change, but his eyes shimmer with barely controlled rage. “Then they both need to pay for their sins.”
“You would hurt Hilary?”
“I’m loyal to a fault,” he admits. “If someone hurts people I care about, I don’t take it lightly.” And there it is, the proof that he may want to do something stupid, but it’s not because he enjoys it, it’s just his way. Loving someone so deeply that you’re willing to do anything for them, that’s what real family is meant to be like. I see that now, being in Tynewood, around the guys and Dahlia, I know I want that.
“I respect that,” I nod, offering him a smile. “But you shouldn’t do it out of anger, hurting someone, killing them even, it’s not worth it. Revenge may be sweet, but it comes with a bitter aftertaste.”
The corner of his mouth kicks up, giving me the view of his handsome face while he’s grinning. I recall the amount of times I would watch him when I first got to Tynewood, eager to see that specific smile. Even when I was sitting beside Dahlia or chatting with Tarian, it was always Etienne who captured my attention.