Maya (Book #3)

Chapter 26

"It was just her and me and my dad. We felt so guilty. We could have stopped it."

"No," I muttered, patting him on the shoulder. I was sure that wasn't true.

"My dad couldn't take it. He thought it was his fault. Our family was a wreck, Maya." He said somberly, face frozen with fear. I thought I could see a hint of younger Damon in him. Not so cocky, not so confident... just lonely. Damon might not have been abused, but he knew what it felt like to be scared.

My mind reeled with this new information. Bella passed away suddenly, and it ruined their dad, who was Dominic's hero despite all of this. And how had Bella died? I always assumed it was an accident or some sort of medical problem.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" I requested, matching his soft tone. He sat up and his back hunched as he curled in on himself a little. He grabbed one knee and rested his chin on it, looking solemn.

"You don't have to tell me!" I assured him as I saw his lower lip quiver. He bit down on it and his eyes were rimmed with red as tears welled up. They spilled over onto his dark eyelashes as he spoke.

"It was a Saturday. Bella and my dad were going to the park, while Charlotte was handling us boys. Bella was refusing to sit in her booster seat, claiming that it was for babies. Caleb was bigger than her already, so he didn't have to anymore. She hated that."

Tears fell onto his cheeks slowly and I wanted to wipe them off or hug him, but I was stuck in place, listening to this story and it's terrible ending. 

"We got to the park, this one by our old house that we loved. Dad was chasing her, pretending to be a monster, when she ran out into the street. I got up and we ran, yelling at her to move but she was frozen in fear as a car came barreling down toward her. It hit her and kept driving, without stopping to check if she was okay."

I gasped involuntarily, and my hand flew over my mouth. Suddenly, I was holding back tears of my own. I could picture the park with perfect clarity, painted green with grass, the sky a perfect blue. It was daytime when the sun was nearing the highest point of the sky.

"No," I whispered, wishing I could reach back in time and grab her, to keep her safe.

"I'll spare you the details. She passed, and my dad couldn't take it. He hung on as long as he could, but the depression eventually beat him. Police found his car around a tree, and he was gone. When he left us, our family felt broken. Caleb grew depressed, Dominic and I were angry, and Brooks shut down. Even Mom didn't know what to do with herself. We had lost our anchor, and our baby." He said with a sigh, as the tears finally stopped.

It was the kind of unspeakable tragedy for which there were no words. I opened my mouth to offer some comfort or provide some peace, but nothing but a shaky breath came out of me.

"I-I'm so sorry," I stated, as my heart broke for this perfect family and their imperfect past.

"We got you, though, and that is an amazing thing," he said with a half-smile, leaning onto his side to face me, and poking me in the stomach.

I ignored his playfulness so that the weight of the moment wouldn't pass.

"I'm so sorry, Damon. You guys have been through so much. I had no idea." I said honestly. My stomach hurt from the pain that radiated from Damon's voice. Something nagged in my head, and my uncle's voice appeared as if out of nowhere.

 How could you? He asked. It's all your fault.

I didn't mean to, I shouted back, in tears.

Don't worry, he replied. As long as you have me, I can keep you safe. I'll never tell.

A memory came flooding back to me, and it took all that I had not to throw up on the spot. I saw Damon's lips moving, but I couldn't hear him anymore. I made up some excuse and took off, sprinting back to my bedroom as quietly as possible.

I heard him call out behind me, "Wait, didn't you need something?"

I didn't even notice. My head began pounding like the beat of a drum, and I felt disgusted and scared, but I didn't know why.

Without warning, another memory came back to me.