Darker Than Love | ꪜ

Darker Than Love | 35

Michelle's POV

"Kaden, stop!" Sasha's giggles echoed throughout the house and I shook my head in disbelief as I continued stirring the pot, waiting for Mason who retrieved the seasoning from the fridge. "Why don't they come help cook like responsible teenagers?"

"Because using responsible and teenagers in one sentence is an abomination," Mason exclaimed as he handed me the now crushed garlic. Before I could reply frantic footsteps tumbled down the stairs and I turned towards Sasha who tumbled into the kitchen, a sheepish look on her face.

"Uhm please don't kill us but we kind of broke something upstairs i-in your room. . ." she trailed off. I set the wooden spoon down and stared back at her calmly, "what room did you break something in?"

"What room?"

"Yours." I let out a shaky breath and trekked past her, not missing the way she flinched as I marched up the stairs and into Deborah's room. When I stumbled inside, for some reason my eyes immediately flickered towards the place I had rested her portrait onto.

But it wasn't there, instead, it was on the bed, the white cloth that covered it scattered beside it. It was broken in half, barely hanging on by the small piece of wood keeping the two sides attached. I dropped onto my knees before my bed and trailed my hand over the portrait, my eyes welling with tears.

"Michelle we're so sorry," Sasha mumbled behind me but I ignored her as I traced her face with my fingers. I forgot for a moment how alike we appeared, if a stranger were to see us they'd think we were twins and not sisters four years apart.

My hands shook as I took the portrait in my grasp, hissing softly when it bent even more as I held it. Anger coursed through my body as I grabbed both ends and finished breaking it off. I stood up with both pieces in my hands and pivoted on my heels to face Sasha who stood in the doorway beside Kaden.

Mason appeared behind them, his eyes softening at the sight of my tear-stained face. "You guys broke her," I croaked out.

"Michelle we're so so sorry, we didn't mean too."

"What the hell were you even doing in this goddamn room!? How do you stumble into a room that isn't yours and go as far as breaking something? I don't get it, I-I really don't!" I scoffed as I tossed the pieces onto the bed.

"We were just fooling around, Michelle. . ." Kaden trailed off. I chuckled loudly until my chuckles bubbled into fits of laughter and I was clutching onto my stomach, doubling over as the knots in my stomach grew.

"Fooling- f-fooling around? Fooling arou- GROW THE HELL UP YOU TWO! This portrait is priceless! This was the only one we had of her and you broke it! If you can't fix this by tomorrow you can pack your shit and get the fuck out!"

Before either of them could reply I stormed out of the room, shoving past them and ignoring Mason's shouts of protest as I marched down the stairs. I wiped away my tears furiously and stumbled back into the kitchen.

I grabbed the knife sitting on the chopping board and slammed it down onto the carrot. It flew across the room and disappeared under the table but I didn't care. I continued slamming the knife down onto the chopping board angrily until a hand grabbed my wrist and pried the knife from my grip.

"Michelle, relax," Mason mumbled into my ear as his arms slipped around me, holding me to his chest. I sobbed loudly as I lowered my head down onto his shoulder and listened to the words escaping his lips, calming me down.

Eventually, I stopped crying. And as angry as I was it still felt great to cry. Not because her portrait was broken but because I've always put off mourning Deborah. I have cried for her, day and night but I haven't even thought about her for the past few weeks so seeing her portrait broken was like reopening my old scars.