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Fuck.
"I, um...I think I’m gonna check if George got a hold of Nate," she stammers.
"Cal—" But before I can apologize, she disconnects, and I'm staring at my background picture—a selfie Lilly and I took one night, lying in her bed.
My leg kicks out and connects with my chair, slamming it into the desk. My room will be an assembly of broken furniture soon.
I turnthe knob without knocking, and my father's head snaps up at the unannounced intrusion of his office. It has always been an unspoken rule for anyone to announce themselves—even Mom. However, I don't give a shit right now.
"I want you to call Lakatos!"
Dad's jaw drops, and his eyes widen. He composes himself quickly, followed by taking me in from head to toe. I haven't bothered putting on a shirt, my three-day-old sweats are stained, and my hair is a semi-dried mess from almost ripping my scalp off from finding out Lilly has kept more secrets from me. Not to mention listening to her scream in agony. My fists at my side twitch, and the motion doesn’t go unnoticed.
"Who is Lakatos?" My father’s tone is even and gives nothing away. He’s good, I’ll give him that.
"Don’t fuck with me," I snarl.
He cocks his head, doing another scan. "What happened, Rhys?"
He doesn’t ask how I know the name?
Screw it. If Lilly decides to freeze me out, I have no reason to protect her damn secrets. "Your little brain-fuck with Lilly’s head is making her pass out whenever she remembers something." I’m borderline yelling.
"What is she remembering?" The question is more careful this time.
"Does it matter? I fucking listened to her scream in pain before passing out. Call that motherfucker and HAVE. HER. FIXED!" The adrenaline raging through my veins is causing the all-too-familiar body trembles to start again, and my knees threaten to buckle.
Dad slowly pushes back from the desk and walks around to where I’m standing. His hands settle on my shoulders as he looks at me with a somber expression. My chest is heaving, and it’s written all over his face that I’m not going to like his next words.
"Rhys, what was done to Lilly’s mind is irreversible."
My legs give out. Bending forward, I clasp my hands behind my neck and start rocking back and forth.
No, no, no.
Behind my eyes, I see Lilly's unconscious body, lying on a floor, one day not waking up anymore. I'm starting to feel sick and begin to dry heave in the middle of my father's office.
"Rhys. Son!" I hear him calling out for me but don't have it in me to respond. Eventually, she'll pass out, and no one will be there to help her. She'll hit her head, or fall down the stairs, or—one scenario worse than the next plays out in my head. Another round of retching makes my stomach cramp.
Suddenly, hands grab under my arms and pull me up like a ragdoll. Dad pulls me over to the sofa, where he drops me with less care before sitting down next to me. My elbows rest on my thighs, and I bury my face in my palms. "I'm going to lose her for good." My muffled mumbling is accompanied by my eyes beginning to water.
Fuck, now I’m also crying like a freakin’ baby.
My father's hand comes to the nape up my neck, where he squeezes ever so slightly, almost like a massage. "You will not lose her, son."
"How do you know?" My voice is hoarse.
"Because the two of you were meant to be together from the moment Emily dropped her off at our house and your mother placed her in your crib. Lilly was crying nonstop; we tried everything for hours to calm her down. You were never like that, so we were completely out of our element. In a final attempt, Mom put her down in your crib; you had just woken up from your nap. As soon this little tiny baby girl was lying next to you, you smiled at her, and she stopped. She fell asleep, and you watched her the entire time she slept."
I turn my head to see if he's shitting me, but he’s sincere. At eighteen years old, I feel like I'm finally forming the bond with my father I should've had years ago.
"Why did you make me leave?" The moisture in my eyes spills over, and I swipe it roughly, embarrassment heating my face.
His expression shifts, and he's about to shut down.
"DON'T!" I order. "Don't you dare freeze me out, too."
He understands and dips his head in a fast motion. "There is a lot you don't know—"
