“I only did what I had to,” he said desperately. “To protect the Light.”
“That’s the problem, father. If all you can see is the light, you will never understand the beauty of the dark.”
With that I turned and walked out.
Chapter 14
Dev
I wanted to kiss her.
The need to close the distance between us was almost physical.
I followed Seph back to her room and watched her collapse on the bed, her head in her arms.
I knelt by her feet, careful not to touch her.
“Seph?”
She looked up at me, tears streaking her face.
She stared at me, her lip trembling, breath catching.
She was shaking.
“Seph, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head, like the words wouldn’t come. One hand came up, scrubbing at her face as if she were angry at the tears themselves.
“I didn’t think it would hurt like that,” she whispered finally. “I thought I was past this part.”
I bit back the fury that flared when he called her nothing.
She was everything.
I can’t ever tell her that.
I swallowed. I didn’t touch her. I wanted to—God, I wanted to—but this wasn’t about me.
“You don’t have to be past anything,” I said quietly. “Not today.”
Her shoulders hitched. She let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
“He still thinks he’s right,” she said. “After everything. He still thinks the Light excuses him.”
“And the worst part?” She dragged a hand over her face. “I miss him.” A shaky breath. “How dumb is that?”
“You’re not dumb.” I kept my voice steady. “There’s nothing wrong with feeling like this, Seph. Whatever he’s done… he’s still your father. It’s okay to be conflicted.”
“Kieran doesn’t think so.”
“Kieran has his own issues.”
That earned a weak huff of laughter before she folded back into herself, pressing her face into her arms again.
“He thinks I should hate him,” she said. “That it should be simple.”
“It never is,” I said. “Anyone who says it is hasn’t been through it.”
