Lethal Lust

18 | rekindling our flame

"She could've died."

"I know."

"You're telling me that someone was actually trying to hurt my daughter and her baby, that night." It wasn't a question that slipped out from between Pattie's lips but rather an accusation. Her intense gaze eventually resting on Kylie's face and it didn't take rocket science for Kylie to have guessed what thoughts were racing through her mind at that moment.

"That's what she said. But sometimes..." Kylie began before halting abruptly, glancing down at her hands, only to find her fidgeting fingers scraping unforgivingly at the skin surrounding her well-manicured cuticles; a recent habit that she had begun to seek refuge in. She inhaled deeply before averting her gaze back up towards Pattie and Elijah.

"What I'm trying to say is that sometimes...people want answers for why...for why it happened even when there is no reason so maybe this is Jess's way of finding an answer?"

"You're actually going to stand there and accuse her of lying? You, of all people, is accusing my Jessica of lying? That's really fucking rich." Pattie scoffed in return, the curse word sounding so much harsher emerging from Pattie's prim-and-proper mouth. It reminded Kylie of her earlier encounter with Jess and how she'd been just as surprised at the sudden rage Jess had shown towards her mother. Maybe, it was true. Maybe Jess was just like her mother after all.

"Come on, that's not what she was –", Elijah's sentence fell short when he became the victim of Pattie's furious stares.

"Of course, that's what she was trying to say! Don't think for a second Jessica didn't tell me what you said to her that night." Pattie snarled cruelly at Kylie and Kylie didn't need three guesses to work out that Jess had omitted what she herself had said to Kylie first.

Kylie braced herself for whatever abuse was going to be hurled her way next but instead, Pattie flashed one of her forged smiles before sauntering off into the kitchen.

Kylie let a sigh of relief escape from between her lips and began making her way upstairs before she felt Elijah's grip tighten around her wrist, as he followed behind her.

"What the hell are you doing? Pattie is right there and I think I made it more than clear that I have absolutely no interest in fucking you anymore."

Elijah chucked lightly but there was no hint of amusement in the raspy sound, "why'd you do it, Kylie? Were you jealous, is that it?"

"Are you actually being serious? Tell me you're fucking joking!" She laughed mockingly, "don't flatter yourself into thinking this was my ploy to get rid of Jess and have you all to myself. I had nothing to do with whatever happened to Jess that night, okay? Read my lips, nothing." She noticed how he took her instruction rather literally as his gaze fell down to her lips and remained fixated on them for a few seconds too long.

"You were late that night. Two hours late. Where were you then?"

"Yeah, okay I did come back here and I was angry and in a mood to fight and we had...words. But that's all. She was fine when I left, a little worked up but absolutely fine, not a scratch on her."

"You argued for a whole two hours, huh?" He raised his brows, the little crinkles forming around his eyes enough to let Kylie know he didn't believe a word she was saying.

"No, I was stuck in traffic, I've already told you that. But..."

"But what?"

"Maybe it was you...you were alone for two hours too, maybe you came back here and pushed her."

"What?" He half shouted in a manner of utter disgust.

"You were hardly ecstatic at the prospect of being a dad, were you?" Maybe this was your way out." She pressed a hard, accusing finger against his chest.