Tonight The World Dies

Chapter 28: Brian

My knuckles rapped across the white painted front door. My gaze dropped, staring at the ghastly gnome that my father always insisted on keeping. Sometimes I was convinced that he only kept it because I'd been weary of it as a child; there had just been something about his beady eyes and over-friendly smile that had somehow sent chills down my spine...

The front door clicked open, catching my attention. I snapped my head back round and looked up to meet with the gaze of the infamous Brian Haner Sr.

"Come on in, son." My father said, taking a step back and allowing me inside. The smell of cinnamon cookies instantly hit me in the face. "Suzy is making cookies, she thought you could do with over-gorging yourself."

I nodded, but decided not to say anything.

"The guest bedroom is set up for you. McKenna is out with friends at the moment, but she'll be home later." My father informed me. I nodded again and turned to head down the hall toward the staircase. "Brian," Dad called, stopping me in my tracks, I turned to him and raised an eyebrow, "you'll be alright." He threw a brief smile in my direction.

"We'll see about that." I answered numbly before I headed up the stairs to my new, temporary room.

After I'd left Avery, I'd drove down the road until I was out of sight of my house before I pulled over and cried to myself for about ten minutes, burying my head in my hands as my forehead rested against the steering wheel. Even as I'd pulled out of the driveway, my vision had been clouded by my tears and I'd barely made it round the corner before I'd broke down; I think it had been harder to walk out of that front door and leave Avery than it had been to hear about the things she'd been getting up to with Matt. It was as if this whole other life had gone on behind my back, and I'd been none the wiser, despite the fact that I'd practically been only a few yards away or within shouting distance each time anything had happened.

A knock at the bedroom door caused me to haul myself out from my thoughts. I called for whoever it was to come in as I continued to pack my shirts into a drawer.

"I brought you a beer." My Dad said, holding the brown bottle up in the air before walking over and handing it to me. We clanked our bottles together before we both took a swig. I turned around, my eyes running over the room that I was now staying in: it was mostly decorated in cream and white. Too bright for my personal preference but it would do until...well, until I went back home either permanently or to gather my things and leave. "Do you want to talk about it?" Dad asked, snapping me out from my thoughts once again.

I shook my head.

"You know you'll have to talk about it sooner rather than later." He pointed out, walking over to perch himself on the edge of the bed.

"I know." I sighed as I finished packing away my clothes. I slid the drawer shut and picked the beer bottle back up before I went to go join my father on the bed. "But, I need at least a day to process everything that they'd told me earlier." I added, turning to meet with my Dad's gaze. His eyes were a similar shade to my own.

My Dad nodded. He took a sip from his beer, appearing to mull over something.

"I was surprised when you rung me the other day, to tell me about Avery and," he paused, "Matt."

"Trust me, you're not the only one." I mumbled. "You haven't told McKenna, have you? You know, about the reason why I'm here?"

"No, I haven't. I told her I invited you over for a few days, but if you stay longer than that she'll catch on."

I nodded. McKenna wasn't a fan of Avery. She'd been a young child when I'd dated Michelle, but she had really liked her, and then I'd broke up with her before Revelation, and as little kids did, she hadn't understood why Michelle and I had parted ways. Then the Revelation had hit, and I'd lost contact with my family and then, the next time I'd spoke to them, I had Avery in my life and for some reason, McKenna had taking a disliking to her from the start. I'd hoped her hatred for her would've faded over time, but it appeared it hadn't and she'd only learnt to live with the fact that Avery was in my life and that nothing would change that...except, maybe this, and I knew if she found out I'd never hear the end of it.