Shared Demons

CHAPTER 23

~Keegan.

This was insane. All this was insane and stupid.

Who could have done this? Who could've waited all this long to break this all over us?

When I woke up to Shayne banging profusely on my door - even though he had my codes and could let himself in - I didn't expect him to flash his phone on my face.

At first, I was too drowsy to see anything, to read any words. But once my mind captured the words MR&MRS GRAHAM and DEATH, my insides twisted so badly I almost threw up on the phone and him.

I knew I needed to reach out to Theo before he read this. He couldn't read it. It would break him.

Shayne kept on bombarding me with questions I didn't want to answer now or ever. The only thing I did was tell him to read the whole article to me while I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth.

It contained a case of Theo and her mother being physically abused by his father. And something along the lines of hidden hospital files that pointed to domestic violence but were covered up. Cases of domestic violence that were covered up. And the suspicious close-up on the case involving his parents' murder. Things in the line of Theo agreeing on the closure of the case and investigation of his parents' murder, how it was all a case of robbery gone wrong, and why he closed the case. What was he hiding? What really happened? If nothing went wrong, why did he leave?

And then me, being in the middle of everything. Me, having been present during that incident and why I left straight afterward. Simple...I was traumatized.

But why now?

Why did - whoever knew this - throw this on us now?

Shayne looked at me when I zoned out. "Keegan...Keegan..." I snapped out and looked back at him. "Do you know what this is all about?"

I shook my head, heading to the door. "I don't want to talk about this. I need to..."

Before I could get the door, it burst open.

My breath stopped, "Theo..." I was too immersed in my thoughts, I hadn't heard his car outside.

"What the hell?" He was hyperventilating. He was angry. He was a mess.

"Theo, calm down..."

He cut me off, walking inside, running his hands roughly in his hair. "No no no, don't tell me to calm down, Keegan, don't.  It's all out. It's all out, everyone knows..."

I cut him off. "They don't know everything. They're questioning it but don't know what really happened..."

There was something about that news. Whoever threw them online didn't have clear details on what happened. Most of the article led to unanswered questions but not clear accusations.

"But isn't that worse?" His tone was starting to rise. He was frustrated.

It was true. People were starting to question. People will start to pick up pieces of the puzzles and place them where they were supposed to be and a big image will bring too many questions and too much damage.

I looked over my shoulder to Shayne who was just...confused. "Shayne, leave us."

"Keegan, if..." He protested.

"Leave us, please." I didn't need him to be here when he talked about this.

Theo was pacing in frustration. He had the right to. The article pressed on him more.

Shayne walked out and I closed the door. I walked back, "Listen to me..."

"Everyone knows Keegan." His face was red. "Everyone knows about me." His voice broke but he didn't cry. He looked more angry than hurt.