Shackles on the heart (Book #1)

19. Murder of innocence

(RaeAnna's POV)

I was beginning to feel disoriented again, feeling out of it. I have been trying to push through it to plan a surprise for Gramma that Lincoln and I have been working on together. It wasn't that much, but I know she will be grateful for it. My head feels like it's spinning, I plop down onto the couch for a moment before Gramma comes into the living room to take me over to Lincoln's house. "You ready sunshine?" She asks.

"I..yes. I'm ready." I tell her. She eyes me, warily. "You feeling okay? You're looking a bit pale." I get up from the couch. "I'm fine, let's go."

I've never met Lincoln's dad before, I'm kind of excited, but also a little nervous. We pull up into the driveway. "I'll be here at 7:00 to pick you up. Have fun and be good sweetie. Love you."

"Bye Gramma, love you." I go to knock on the door, no answer. I try the doorbell, then hear a little shuffling coming from the other side. "Coming!" Lincoln shouts. When he opens the door he automatically pulls me into a sweet, warm hug. "Hi Ann. Come on in. My dad will be down in a few minutes."

"I'm pretty nervous." I say, while wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans. "Why the nerves? My dad will adore you, just like I do." I grin and snicker a little. "You adore me?" I question him. He looks away, blushing slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well yeah. Ofcourse I do, you are my bestfriend Ann."

Before I can ask him about it, we begin to hear loud footsteps coming from the stairs. His dad looks to be around 40 years old, with a few grays in his dark hair, a well trimmed beard and he is very well-dressed, but there is something prominent inside of his blue eyes, something I never noticed with William before. I see life, happiness, overall joy to see me, to be able to meet his son's friend. "You must be RaeAnna. Lincoln here talks about you all the time." He says, suggestively. "Dad! Can you not?" Lincoln says, a bit embarrassed by his dad's words. He chuckles heartedly at the look on his sons face. "I'm felix. It's so great to finally meet the girl my son won't shut up about."

"Dad!" Lincoln exclaims with an eye roll. I smile at the relationship between father and son. "It's nice to meet you to sir." I go to shake his hand, but instead he gives me a hug, a fatherly hug and I almost break down into tears because that is something I have never known. "Well, I'll let you kids get to whatever it is you're gonna do. I'm sure your grandma will love it, no matter what it is." He smiles a genuine smile, not those fake sinister smiles that William used to give me. "I hope so."

"Well have fun kids. I'll be up in my office. I have a bit of work to do, holler if you need anything." He eyes me once more, pure happiness in his eyes. "It was a pleasure to meet you, young lady."

He heads back upstairs and I turn towards Lincoln. "Your dad seems super nice, nothing like mine." I slap myself, mentally, for letting those words slip past my lips before I could stop them. "What do you mean by that? What is your dad like?" I set myself up for that one. "Um.. nothing nevermind, let's just pretend I didn't just say that."

"You can talk to me about anything you know that right?" He says, generosity pure in his eyes. "I'd really rather not talk about this okay? I didn't mean to say anything. It just kind if slipped out." I chuckle, nervously. "If you say so."