Cadence

29. Mirrors

Nicolas

Watching her stand at the podium, crying as she relived memories and held her heart out for everyone to see broke me.

How could someone like her have to deal with such pain, she's experienced grief at it's worst. From finding her parents to watching her best friend have his life taken from him. When we got home she broke down.

She cried until her eyes were puffy and her throat so hoarse she could no longer speak. I showered her whilst she cried into my shoulder gripping at my skin and begging me to never leave her.

I dressed her as she sat on the bed with her head in her hands. Tucked her in and pulled her to my chest.

I haven't left her side since the funeral, not for a text, call nothing. Not until now. I have to deal with him, now James is gone he's first priority. My father coming in close at second.

***

"Long time no see." He smarts, he flashes me his gun in warning.

I almost laugh, he really thinks that'll scare me? I have more bullet wound scars than he could count.

"First things first, you leave my fucking niece alone, you've done enough damage." Finn Hirum pulls his face into a look of disgust.

We've been doing the back and forth threats for years now since it happened. As soon as he came back to town I knew what he wanted.

My head.

Now that Cadence was mine, he definitely wasn't going to get it.

I just shook my head keeping direct contact with the man. My eyes never leaving his. Asserting dominance, I also flashed him my (much bigger) than his gun.

"You can stop with the threats Finn." I spat.

"I'm never leaving her."

"You will." He snarled.

"And why's that?" I cocked my head to the side.

"I'll tell her what you did."

I'll admit, he caught me off guard with that one. But he's not going to do anything of the sort. If she found out it would destroy her and any kind of relationship we're going to have in the future.

"No you won't, not with what I found on you."

"There's nothing about me she doesn't know." He says.

"See that's where you're wrong, you think Allison kept quiet about what you did to her?"

He looks at me unsure if I'm trying to trick him into telling me something or not.

"Whilst the Hirum household was going under investigation after the explosion, I found her diary, she was a highly detailed writer by the way, and I read how you actually aren't gay. And in-fact were raping Allison but threatening her with hurting Cadence to keep her quiet. And because of the mother she was, she was dumb enough to believe your pathetic excuse of a threat." I say, not missing a beat on what I found that day.

"And because I know this information, you're going to leave town and cut off all communication with Cadence." I smile at him coyly.

His disgusting face angry and full of nothing but pure hatred. Nostrils flaring he doesn't utter a word before stomping back to his car and speeding off back down the hidden alleyway.

Good.

Hopping back into my car I head towards Cadence, I hope I haven't left her alone too long. She was still sleeping when I left.