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It’s like I’m not even here.
Except I am and they just don’t care.
I can’t decide what’s worse.
But when Aleksander stops doing—ugh,that—to my sister’s thumb, he turns another oily smirk on me.
“I do mean that sincerely, Ophelia. I know my family reputation makes this seem like an odd situation—”
“Like that’s the only reason,” I spit.
“—but I do want us all to be one big happy family,” he continues, undeterred. “Frankly, I’m dead set on marrying your sister and making her mine. I only hope you’ll come to accept that. Not tonight, certainly, but in time.”
Not in a million years.
It’s funny how he says it, too.
Making her his.
But he never said one word about actually loving her.
This time, when I bare my teeth at him, it’s deliberate. “You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t consider you family just yet.”
I’ve also heard enough.
So I turn my back on them—on Ros’ hurt, angry glare and the strangely knowing chuckle boiling from Aleksander’s mannequin-like throat.
As I turn to walk away from this circus, completely done with this crap, Aleksander’s voice drifts after me.
“See? It’s like we’re already family. Bickering just like siblings, Ophelia dearest!” he calls. “You just need to come to grips with that fact.”
Flipping creep.
I don’t need to come to grips with anything besides my mounting temper.
I stalk out of our shop and welcome the biting fall air that stings my cheeks until they burn.
I’m not in any mood for shopping anymore, or even to see Mom.
Honestly, I wouldn’t enjoy shopping when I’m this angry, and I don’t want to bring this bitter energy into the hospital. I might not buy into the New Agey energy healing stuff, but I can’t help thinking all this negative energy won’t do our mother any good.
So I just stand there restlessly for an agitated moment, ignoring the people strolling past with curious glances and rude whispers that always carry more than they think.
Sigh.
I’m so sick of being talked about like the town pity case.
I should just go home. Back to Grant’s place, I mean.
Except the house will be as empty as Mom’s with Nell in school and I’ll be stranded with my nerves, rattling around alone.
I shouldn’t be doing this when I start moving.
Yet somehow, my feet take me to the left, down the street, a few blocks away to the Redhaven police station.
It’s an old-timey brick building, smaller than most shops, and when I push the door open it’s easy to fit basically everything in one big room. There’s a broad wooden reception desk with an old computer sitting dormant, and beyond that the small cluster of desks where our small police force sets up to work when they’re not on patrol.
It’s still a little jarring for me to see Lucas Graves in a uniform, though it doesn’t surprise me when he was so dead set on finding justice for his sister, Celeste. He and Mallory Cross are the only ones in the office.
