Forbidden ~ after unlocked

Chapter 28 - Keefe

A thousand thoughts screamed in Keefe's mind.

So Ethan Benedict Wright II was my uncle.

My mom killed my uncle.

She killed her brother-in-law and her niece.

Should I tell Kalea?

Maybe she already knows.

All of the new information slamming into his mind along with Evren and his aunt's strong emotions made him feel like he might faint again.

Keefe sank into a chair opposite the couch where the girls sat. He buried his head in his hands, running distressed fingers through his hair. After a few deep breaths, he looked up. Evren and Kalea were staring at him, their expressions unreadable, but their emotions conveying what they were thinking clearly enough.

"Are you alright, Keefe?" Kalea asked hesitantly.

He nodded, releasing a shaky breath. "Sorry. I just, I..."

"Keefe, may I ask you something?"

Keefe assumed she took his silence as a yes.

"How do you know about my husband and daughter?"

His mind scrambled for an answer. He didn't want to tell the truth, in case she didn't know what really happened. "Uh... I just recognized the names, that's all. My mom must have mentioned them before."

"Then explain why you were freaking out," Evren said.

"I... I was hoping I might recover a memory," Keefe told her. At least that was partly true. "Since my mom probably erased my memories with you guys. The names sounded familiar, so I thought hearing them might trigger some old memories. That's it."

Evren leaned back and crossed her arms, but she didn't say anything more.

Keefe looked away, tapping his foot anxiously. "Sorry. That must have been hard for you to talk about."

Kalea waved it off. "Don't apologize, after so many years you'd think I'd be used to it. Speaking of family..."

Kalea turned her head to the hallway, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound of her shout. "Come in! I know you're eavesdropping!"

Keefe scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. But after a few moments, an elderly man waddled in through the doorway.

Keefe nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized who it was.

He'd seen the man earlier this same day, with his familiar features of pure white hair and pale face weary with wrinkles.

Ethan Wright, Ethan Benedict Wright II's father.

"You... you're..." Keefe glanced around the room in bewilderment, not quite believing what he was seeing. "How...?"

"This is my father-in-law," Kalea introduced. "His job was to find you and bring you to me."

"I don't understand."

"But then you jumped out of the car on your way over here," Kalea continued, ignoring Keefe's comment, "So we sent Evren after you."

Ethan Wright I gave Keefe a small awkward wave. "Good to see you again, Keefe."

Keefe felt like he should be allowed at least a few moments of confusion, what with all the new information, but he just nodded feebly. "So... you knew I was lying then."

"I did," Ethan said with a sigh. "And I was about to start explaining everything, but then you left. With that being said, I also lied to you, so how about we call it even?"