Wolfsbane

30. Family ties

"How did your mother die?" Luca says, his voice cuts through the room.

I rolled over to face him. He was staring straight up at the ceiling, eyes wide and alert. Moonlight passed through the window, brushing over the both of us.

"She was sick" I said "I don't really know what it was, but it killed her"

Memories of that night flashed through my head. The phone call I had got from Dad, my disbelief. I remembered my knees buckling like the world had been pulled out from underneath my feet.

He wrapped his hand around mine, squeezing it tightly.

"My Mother would have loved you" He said "Her memories make it very clear"

I furrowed my brown in confusion.

"What do you mean from her memories?" I said

Luca rolled onto his side, shifting the covers. He gave me a sheepish smile. One that didn't want my pity.

"She died moments after I was born" he said

My mind flashed back to the dream I'd had the other night. Running through the forest with a man chasing me. Fingers being wrapped around my neck, taking the life out of me. Instantly I was able to deduce what had happened.

"She was strangled" I said

He sat up abruptly. "How do you-"

"I had a dream the other night" I said "I didn't bother saying anything"

Luca shook his head, "I'm not getting into this with you again"

"Relax-"

"It was an accident" Luca said "He didn't  mean to-"

"He wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed. Even if he didn't mean to kill her, he meant to do something" I said "Look, you don't have to like it but you could at least acknowledge who your father was"

He paused. He was searching for the right words to say.

"Melody, he raised me. He didn't have to"

I laughed. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew exactly what was happening. I'd seen the anti child abuse adverts on TV. Everything which he was describing was emotional abuse. It was what his father must have told him throughout his childhood. Every single time Luca thought for himself, his father must have threatened to kick him out. Or told Luca that raising him was a choice rather than his responsibility.

"Luca I think you should talk to someone" I said

"I am talking to someone" Luca said

I shook my head, nitpicking asshole.

"You know what I mean"

Luca rolled over onto his side. Refusing to answer me. I rolled my eyes, which was infuriating as he wouldn't be able to see me do it.

I wasn't going to be able to fall asleep. I knew that. I could sense that Luca wasn't either. I could hear him move every single time I did. I could hear the sound of him seething from my side of the bed.