Torn (Dark Desires Duet, #1)

Chapter Twenty Seven

Removing my clothes and throwing them out, I step into the shower, washing away the blood, dust and hopefully the memories as well. I'm not so lucky though, with every blink of my eyes, I see short bursts of scenes.

Blood, swords, Benedict, Brandon, wounds, old house, the day I was kidnapped.

Nothing I do helps. Maybe time will heal, I'll just focus on important things now- like Brandon, Kieran and Tara. Also, yeah, my job. It'll be good to go back to routine.

Hot water turns my pale and gritty skin red and clean. I come out after a long time, smelling like strawberries and hair dripping droplets on the floor. Rubbing my hair vigorously with a towel, I sit on my bed with a sigh.

All I can think about now is how awkward it was with Brandon on the ride back home. Even though there wasn't a lot of space on Rainbow Dash, he still managed to not touch me the entire time and didn't say a single word except compliment my riding skills.

It's so confusing and stressful. Why are his mood swings worse than a pregnant woman's? First he kisses me and then ignores me and then looks all worried at me and then back to strangers. If it weren't for the fact that I am certain that I'm in love with him, I would've thought he isn't worth it. But, he is. I just wish he would open up more. Trust me, share with me. That's what girlfriends are for, right?

My phone rings and I check it to see that it's the reminder I had set for myself. To catch up with Dad.

Clenching my jaw, I settle amongst the pillows and press the call button. It rings for an obnoxiously long time before a gruff voice answers it. "Hello?"

My voice is meek when I reply. "Hi, dad."

There is a long stretch of silence following my statement. I can hear ragged breathing on the other line, the only sign that the call is still going on.

"Kathryn, is that you?" His words are slurring and I swallow back my anger. Still drinking? How could he?

"Yeah, it's me. How are you? And Sierra?"

He grunts and I can hear the shuffling of his feet as he moves around. "Hanging by a thread. Why don't you visit your old man these days, huh?"

It doesn't escape my notice that he didn't answer about Sierra. He must have cheated again and she probably dumped him. Does Kieran know?

I close my eyes and lean back against the headboard. "There was a reason I left, dad, and you know that."

He grunts again and this time I can hear the clinking of glass bottles. Biting on my lip, I can't help but make a comment. "Why are you drinking again? Wasn't last time bad enough?"

My dad doesn't say anything but voice saddens even more than before. "I actually don't drink. I've been sober for a long time. Today is an exception." He pauses and a dry sob comes out. "Sierra died last week, sweetiepie."

He hasn't called me sweetiepie since my mum's death. I was never close to Sierra so I'm surprised to find tears trailing down my cheek. Why so much death, pain and loss?

"How?" I manage to say before more tears fall. I wipe them away hastily.

"Heart attack." He mutters. "She told me she had a heart condition, but I didn't know it was this bad. And she was miserable after Kieran so I tried to help but it didn't work."

My throat tightens uncomfortably. Should I tell him that Kieran is alive? The shock would be so big though. Anyway, it isn't my secret to tell. Kieran will talk to him if he wants to. But, he should know about Sierra and I dread being the one to tell him. They weren't super close either but she was his mom after all.