Parallel Hearts (Parallel Hearts Trilogy, #1)

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

When someone tells you something is too good to be true, it probably is. You wonder how life could suddenly be so kind…or whether or not there’s a hidden agenda lurking around the next corner.What’s the catch? We’ve become so skeptical at believing something good could happen that we almost always need proof, confirmation that it can exist. Have you ever noticed how it’s easier to distrust than to trust, or to hate than to love? For some innate reason we always assume the worst. Why? Because then we're armed and ready to take on the bad stuff.

“How?” I ask with a look of elated confusion splayed across my face. Gram returns from the kitchen and hands me a tall glass of chilled water.  Once again, she joins me on the sofa while Aaden remains close at my feet, guarding me. It’s practically the middle of the night, but sleep is the farthest thing from my mind. I carefully take a sip of water, my hands still shaking restlessly from the unbelievably good news I’ve just heard. “How is this even possible?” I ask, swallowing the cool liquid and setting the glass down on the coffee table.

“Anna,” Gram starts her voice serious. “All along, we’ve been lead to believe the reason behind your parent’s accident was caused by poor driving conditions…but we now know differently.” She looks down at Aaden when she finishes, inviting him to continue telling the story.

“It was Markus and Zac, Anna,” he says, exhaling deeply. “They were after you and Kayla that night. They caused the accident.” He breaks off a moment, letting me process, but the uncertainty in his voice tells me there’s more to the story. “We think your parents knew what was taking place, and were just trying to protect Kayla when they....”

“Crashed,|” I finish for him, bowing my head and trying to imagine the thoughts that were playing through my parent’s minds before they died. Mom and Dad knew that Kay and I would one day be sought after. They were only trying to protect us by changing our family name and keeping us in the dark about their past life. Looking back, I can’t blame them for trying to keep us safe—for giving us our best chance. I only wish they were here now, so I could thank them for all the sacrifices they made…and tell them how much I miss them.

“So, then what happened to Kay?” I ask, needing to know more. “I thought the police said she fell from the bridge?”

“She did,” Aaden answers a little too casually. I know what he’s doing, he’s trying to see if I can put the pieces of the puzzle together, to see if I understand everything he’s told me.

Processing the few things I already know about Everly, I manage to come to a conclusion, although I don’t feel like it’s a logical one. “The portal…?”

 Aaden and Gram both nod, like they’re proud I solved the mystery.

Even knowing what I know now, I find it hard to believe that Kayla fell through the right place at the right time, especially since the crash happened beyond the center point of the bridge. “How did she get to the portal?” I ask, my skepticism clearly voiced.

Aaden looks up at Gram before answering. “Vincent?”

She nods.

I sit up further on the couch, annoyed by their silent communication and tired of feeling like I’m constantly on the outside looking in. “Who’s Vincent?”

Sensing my growing frustration, Gram shifts and transfers her eyes from Aaden’s to mine. “Vincent is Kayla’s Scout.”

I look back at her, completely astonished. The thought of Kayla having a Scout of her own never even crossed my mind. Even after Aaden showed up in my life, I never once thought to ask him if Kay had someone watching over her. I guess in my mind, I was always the one who looked out for her. “Did he save her?” I ask. Did he save her when I couldn’t?