the only boy and having three older sisters bullying you around automatically made you the favorite.”
“My point exactly. You bullied me because you were all jealous,” I pointed out, turning to face Gabby.
“Well, I was Daddy’s favorite wasn’t I, Ma?” Shit. I tensed and quickly fell silent at the sudden talk of our father. It wasn’t Annie’s fault she never knew of the horrors our family faced because of that man. We’d kept it from her, but to have her bring it up when Evangeline was right beside me caused me to freak.
It was Gabby who spoke up first. “Stop trying to bring him up in every conversation, Annabelle! I’m sick of it,” she snapped.
“What? Why?” our younger sister replied before narrowing her eyes at Gabriella. “Why do you always do this? Why do you hate him so much, Gabby?”
No one wanted to say anything, and no one dared. Even Mom had fallen silent. My eyes fell to the table, silently praying I’d just imagined the whole conversation. I couldn’t move, couldn’t even look up to see what was happening around the room. I wanted it all to go away.
I heard Chiara growl, “No!” That must’ve been to Gabby because she then added, “Annie, why don’t you and I go upstairs and I’ll help with some of your assignments? Unless you want to help Ma with dinner.”
I was finally able to exhale the breath I was holding in. I silently thanked Chiara; I don’t know how I would have handled Annie finding out the truth about Dad and Evie knowing the truth about what I had done all in one go. I didn’t want to risk knowing whether I had enough strength to deal with that, because I already knew the answer: I didn’t. I just didn’t want to find out how I would react if it did.
I took a deep breath. I have to be strong. “Evangeline and I are going upstairs,” I said without taking my eyes off the table. I reached for Evie’s hand and stood up. “Ma, just call me if you want any help with dinner, okay?”
Mom walked out of the room without saying anything. She was upset, and I knew I should go to her and check if she was okay, but I wasn’t sure if I was okay.
My two older sisters began bickering again. I had to do something. I didn’t want to, but if I didn’t, my whole family would fall apart at any minute.
“Evangeline, I’ll meet you upstairs in a moment,” I said, not having the balls to look at her. “I need to speak to Gabby again. Our room is―”
“I’ll show her where it is,” Chiara said, cutting me off. Great, now she was mad at me, too. I managed to throw a glance at Chiara to try and tell her I didn’t have a choice, but she wasn’t having it. She just shook her head in disappointment. Unable to bear it, I looked away and stared at the kitchen sink until no one was left in the room except Gabriella and me.
“ Why , Gabby?” I demanded, when I couldn’t hear footsteps on the stairs anymore. My eyes flickered over to hers. She was already glaring at me, her arms crossed at her chest.
“You were sitting in the same room to know she’d started it, Ryan,” she snapped.
“She’s nineteen!” I hissed back. Is she really going to argue with me over this? “She doesn’t know what we know, remember? I think you fail to see that every damn time.”
She paused and all the anger from her face faded. “I can’t keep doing this, Ry; lying to her, I mean. I don’t mean to get mad, but I can’t help it. He’s still there, haunting every damn dream I have. I hate him so much. After fourteen years, you’d think it’d get easier. I wish it got easier.”
I exhaled, walked up to my sister and wrapped my arms around her. “I know, Gabby. Me, too.”
We stayed like that for a while, in complete silence. We didn’t need to speak; our silent words were enough. Though we were eighteen months apart, Gabby and I felt more like twins than just ordinary siblings. We’d always felt that way, even before the tragic event.
I stayed with Gabs until she
“My point exactly. You bullied me because you were all jealous,” I pointed out, turning to face Gabby.
“Well, I was Daddy’s favorite wasn’t I, Ma?” Shit. I tensed and quickly fell silent at the sudden talk of our father. It wasn’t Annie’s fault she never knew of the horrors our family faced because of that man. We’d kept it from her, but to have her bring it up when Evangeline was right beside me caused me to freak.
It was Gabby who spoke up first. “Stop trying to bring him up in every conversation, Annabelle! I’m sick of it,” she snapped.
“What? Why?” our younger sister replied before narrowing her eyes at Gabriella. “Why do you always do this? Why do you hate him so much, Gabby?”
No one wanted to say anything, and no one dared. Even Mom had fallen silent. My eyes fell to the table, silently praying I’d just imagined the whole conversation. I couldn’t move, couldn’t even look up to see what was happening around the room. I wanted it all to go away.
I heard Chiara growl, “No!” That must’ve been to Gabby because she then added, “Annie, why don’t you and I go upstairs and I’ll help with some of your assignments? Unless you want to help Ma with dinner.”
I was finally able to exhale the breath I was holding in. I silently thanked Chiara; I don’t know how I would have handled Annie finding out the truth about Dad and Evie knowing the truth about what I had done all in one go. I didn’t want to risk knowing whether I had enough strength to deal with that, because I already knew the answer: I didn’t. I just didn’t want to find out how I would react if it did.
I took a deep breath. I have to be strong. “Evangeline and I are going upstairs,” I said without taking my eyes off the table. I reached for Evie’s hand and stood up. “Ma, just call me if you want any help with dinner, okay?”
Mom walked out of the room without saying anything. She was upset, and I knew I should go to her and check if she was okay, but I wasn’t sure if I was okay.
My two older sisters began bickering again. I had to do something. I didn’t want to, but if I didn’t, my whole family would fall apart at any minute.
“Evangeline, I’ll meet you upstairs in a moment,” I said, not having the balls to look at her. “I need to speak to Gabby again. Our room is―”
“I’ll show her where it is,” Chiara said, cutting me off. Great, now she was mad at me, too. I managed to throw a glance at Chiara to try and tell her I didn’t have a choice, but she wasn’t having it. She just shook her head in disappointment. Unable to bear it, I looked away and stared at the kitchen sink until no one was left in the room except Gabriella and me.
“ Why , Gabby?” I demanded, when I couldn’t hear footsteps on the stairs anymore. My eyes flickered over to hers. She was already glaring at me, her arms crossed at her chest.
“You were sitting in the same room to know she’d started it, Ryan,” she snapped.
“She’s nineteen!” I hissed back. Is she really going to argue with me over this? “She doesn’t know what we know, remember? I think you fail to see that every damn time.”
She paused and all the anger from her face faded. “I can’t keep doing this, Ry; lying to her, I mean. I don’t mean to get mad, but I can’t help it. He’s still there, haunting every damn dream I have. I hate him so much. After fourteen years, you’d think it’d get easier. I wish it got easier.”
I exhaled, walked up to my sister and wrapped my arms around her. “I know, Gabby. Me, too.”
We stayed like that for a while, in complete silence. We didn’t need to speak; our silent words were enough. Though we were eighteen months apart, Gabby and I felt more like twins than just ordinary siblings. We’d always felt that way, even before the tragic event.
I stayed with Gabs until she
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