“Come on,” Richter says as he takes my hand in his. I let him lead me around the table to where Cleo is sitting, still refusing to look up, and seemingly afraid of everything that’s transpired in front of her.
When we reach her, we take a spot on either side of her and crouch down.
“Cleo,” Richter begins in a soft tone. “Do you remember Darby?”
She closes her eyes tightly and shakes her head vehemently, but I know she’s lying. That’s how she used to react when we were younger, and Dad would ask us who had ‘fucked up today.’
“Honey,” I tell her gently as I rest a hand on her leg. “The last time you saw us was right before Dad took you into town. You were supposed to help him with some shopping. Do you remember that?”
A tear rolls down her face as she shakes her head again and it makes me wonder if she’s acting like she doesn’t remember because she really doesn’t, or if she’s trying to block out the memory because Dad did something to her on that trip.
It’s late afternoon and we’re still in Bryden’s home. He somehow managed to diffuse the tension between Casey and Richter by asking to talk to them in ‘the other room like men.’
When they reemerged, my brother was still angry but way more compliant and Casey seemed to be in good spirits again.
I passed the time by helping the older of the girls help the younger ones with their schoolwork since Heather ended up taking Sierra and Cleo back to their room.
Instead of being the hero that broke the witch’s curse, I became worse in her eyes than any monster she could have ever imagined.
“Skylar come talk to me,” Bryden says as he enters the room. When he sees the look on my face, he smiles and holds a hand up. “The boys will be fine. They’ve come to an agreement.”
Curiosity takes hold of me, but I’ve already pressed the man of the house too much—acted too rudely to ask him what the agreement is. I’m sure he’ll tell me when he feels the time is right and who knows when that will be?
“Sure,” I reply as I get to my feet and follow him back into the kitchen.
Xoe is currently cleaning up, but when her father tells her that she’s excused, she leaves us alone without a word or glance.
“What’s up?” I ask him nervously as I cross my arms loosely over my chest.
“I can’t help but feel like we got off on the wrong foot,” he begins with a chuckle. “Neither of you seem to believe that I’m your brother and you’ve asked for proof. Is my family not proof enough? Isn’t this the same thing that Luke has done for generations? You see, we have different mothers, and now that you and Richter have shown up, I wouldn’t be surprised if more of us are wandering around. But the only family that matters to me is the family that I can see—that I can touch,” he finishes as he reaches a hand forward, brushing my hair behind my ear.
I turn my face away from him, because in this moment, I do feel like he could be telling the truth.
My mind is more muddled than Cleo’s. I don’t know who’s telling the truth anymore, I think miserably.
“I don’t want you to be unhappy here—or Richter. I want to show you both that you can love your family and be loved in return. Not everything that our father did to his children should be carried down. And that includes this,” he says, moving his hand down to my lower lip. “This is a Greene trait that doesn’t exist in my home, nor should it in yours.”
“I fell,” I tell him again in a shaky voice as I pull away from his touch. “That’s all that happened.”
Bryden clears his throat and takes a deep breath. “I’d like you to spend some time with Casey. Richter agreed to it, so there’s no worry about what he’ll say, okay? Just go out back with him and have a talk. Find out how our family works, and you’ll understand how and why everyone here is happy, loved, and cared for.”
I raise my eyes to his and do my best to control the tremble that’s going through my body. I don’t want to spend time with anyone under his fucking roof unless it’s my little sister, but it seems that he has hurdles that need to be leaped before he gives in.
If he gives in.
“And if I do this, will you let me spend time with Cleo? Alone?” I ask in a shaky voice.
“I promise,” he replies, a smile slipping over his lips. “Casey!”
I jump slightly at the sound of his voice because I hadn’t expected it to be so strong this loud.
“Yes, Daddy?” he asks from behind me.
“Take Skylar out back. Have a little chat with her about how things work here and see if you can’t put her mind at ease.”
“Sure thing,” he replies enthusiastically. I feel his presence when he comes to stand behind me, and when he leans down and whispers into my ear, I wonder if I’ll actually believe anything he has to say to me.
“Damn, I forgot to stack the wood,” he mumbles under his breath once we get outside. “Gimme a sec?”
I nod and sit on the back step as he wanders over to the pile of wood he chopped earlier in the day. I tuck my hands beneath my thighs as he meticulously makes a neat little pyramid out of them.
When he’s finally done, he pulls his shirt up to his nose, makes a face at me, then smiles when I giggle shyly.
“Can I ask you something?” he says as he sits down on the spot next to me. I shrug
