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He looked up with tears on his face and stood up swiftly. “Josephine,” he said, walking around his desk. “Where have you been? What happened? You left ..." He pulled me against his chest and held me there tightly.
I inhaled the smell of his cologne and listened to the frantic beating of his heart. “You and Fern were here, and then when I got back, everyone was gone. Did your mother go after you? We told you to stay here." He pulled back and shook my shoulders. “Tell me.”
I inhaled. “I don’t know where to start. I—” I looked over at Kellan, who nodded at me to continue.
Dad watched the gesture, and his shoulders stiffened. I could sense his unease at my comfortableness with Kellan.
“The woman that took me was a witch. The spindle that was stolen from her ... you remember the card we found in my room.” He nodded and folded his arms over his chest. “Mom took the spindle, Dad.”
He scoffed after a few moments of silence. “Your mother? Stole this spindle? What in the hell are you talking about?” he asked.
I cleared my throat. “I found the spindle under Mom’s Garden. She followed us to the other realm. She’s sisters with the witch that took me.”
Dad’s face turned angry, and he looked down at the ground. “Stop this nonsense, Josephine. Did Kellan tell you that? What did you do to my wife? Where is she? I need to hear this from her. This is insane. Spindles. Witches. You've lost your mind going through those portals."
I shook my head as tears fell down my face. Dad watched as I began to silently cry, and he tightened his fingers into fists. “What. Happened. To. My. Wife?” he asked again.
“She followed us, and demanded we help her steal back the spindle. I told her no, but she threatened us. I had to do it.”
Dad stepped forward and roughly grabbed my shoulders. “You had to do what, Josephine? Say it—”
“I killed her. I hid eggs in the food we brought, and she ate it. She died in the other realm, and so did Deidamia. The spindle is being destroyed.”
Dad’s fingers dug into my skin. I tried to reach forward and touch him, but he shoved me across the room. I fell to the floor, and I felt our relationship shatter into pieces.
Quicker than my father would ever be, Kellan stepped over and grabbed Dad’s shirt in his fist. “Do not ever touch her again. She’s telling you the truth. Maybe you should take a second to calm down. Realize that you’re destroying the last true relationship you have on this Earth. And trust me, being alone is lonely.”
I scurried to my feet and covered my mouth with my palm. Dad’s anger turned to tears, and he recoiled into himself on the floor.
The look on Kellan’s face turned to pity. He knew what that pain felt like. He knew the pain my father was enduring at the moment.
Kellan stepped over to me. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
I nodded. “I’m fine. I think I want to leave.”
Kellan wrapped his arm around my shoulder and guided me toward the door. I stopped and looked down at my dad. “I’m sorry. She’s my mother. I loved her. I had no other choice. If you want to talk, call me.”
Kellan and I walked into the hallway, where Luther patiently waited. He must have read my face. “Please don’t leave him. Make sure he’s okay?”
“Of course,” Luther said, running into the den. A gust of relief and sadness blanketed me. I felt my legs grow numb as we walked outside of the house and toward Kellan’s pickup. I caught myself on the hood of his truck and took a deep breath.
Kellan barricaded me against him, one arm on either side of me. He leaned in and softly kissed my neck. “Are you okay?” he whispered against my flesh.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m hurting.”
“I know you are,” he said. “Let’s get home. You need to rest.”
I loved hearing him call his house home. I had no idea what my future held, but I knew Kellan would be there with me. I turned to look up at him as the sound of a vehicle moving swiftly down the driveway caught my attention. I looked over to see Jacob’s vehicle parking beside us.
I tensed. As if we needed any more drama, he would show up today with his nonsense.
Kellan watched as he parked and opened the door. “Who's that?” he asked.
I sighed heavily. “Jacob.”
Kellan looked down at me. “Your ex?”
“Unfortunately. I have no idea why he’s here.”
