AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m not sorry it happened,” Odi admits. “She wouldn’t have given up. If not last night, it would have been another time, another scheme.”
“True,” Zie concedes. “I just hate the thought of you going through that alone. I want to be there to support you nexttime.” He gives her a hopeful grin and she beams back at him, launching herself into his arms and kissing him.
“Thank you,” she says when they break for air. “Thank you.”
I know it means the world to her, having Zie’s approval and acceptance, and it warms my heart to see her so happy. That doesn’t mean that feelings of guilt or remorse won’t come later, but we’ll all be here to keep an eye on her and support her as needed.
As we sit around the table, eating the pancakes that Odi made, there’s a strange sense of camaraderie among us.
“To Odi,” I say, raising my glass of orange juice in toast. “The bravest woman I know.”
We all clink our glasses together and drink. I drink to our survival, knowing that no matter how hard life gets, no matter what gets thrown at us, we have each other and that’s all that matters. I drink to our love and the strength it gives us to overcome any obstacle. And I drink to the power of vengeance, how fiercely it burns in the veins of my betrothed. Because I know that in the coming days, she’ll need to draw on that fire to give her courage to stand tall and merciless against the men who hurt her.
I made a grave error tonight. I said no. I wouldn’t do it. Even with the muzzle of the gun pressing against my temple in a cool kiss, I shook my head and refused.
I was given an injection. A blend of three different drugs, administered slowly and at perfectly timed intervals to maximise their damage.
I was too out of it to feel anything once they forced me into that cold metal box. Too far gone to remember it.
All I feel is shame.
Shame for something I can’t even recall.
I know it was bad though.
It had to be.
AndIdidthatto someone else.
“Holy shit, I’m getting married in the morning,” Odi murmurs. She’s sitting on the couch in father’s living room, staring unseeingly at the TV.
Due to the timings of tomorrow, we all needed to stay in Deathfalls tonight, but Odi had nowhere to go. Her home is in ruins between Zie’s and mine, and there was no way shewas going to set foot inside The General’s home or the Abbott mansion. As if any of us would allow that anyway.
Still though, I couldn’t miss the gasp of pain she gave when we pulled up outside. I want to get answers for her about her mum and the house and things, I do, but there’s so much going on right now, everything is in such a delicate balance, that I know we only have the energy to focus on one thing at a time.
And surviving tomorrow has to be the sole focus right now.
“Are you ready for bed?” I ask her, with zero innuendo.
There’s so much at risk right now that we can’t put a single toe out of line. We can’t give our fathers any excuse to call off the wedding or call The Doe’s loyalty to Axel into question. That means, outside of our sanctuary, I have to be on my best damn behaviour, and it sucks. Still, it’s just for one night, even if the temptation of having Odi in my teenage bedroom might prove too much.
Odi looks up, her eyes lost in a whirlwind of emotions. “Yeah,” she whispers, barely audible. “I could use some sleep.”
I’m not convinced that much sleep is on the cards for either of us, but it has to be better than sitting on the sofa staring into space. It’s clear that she’s nervous about tomorrow – we all are – but undoubtedly she has more on her mind than we do.
I walk over to her and offer my hand, helping her off the couch. Her touch sends a jolt through me, a mix of longing and a fierce need to protect. We make our way upstairs and down the hallway, passing the closed doors of my father’s study. Memories threaten to flood in, but I push them away, focusing on the here and now.
As we enter my old bedroom, Odi’s gaze wanders around the familiar space. It’s been years since she last set foot inside this room, before everything changed between us, but the room is still the same. The walls are adorned with posters of bands we used to love, but they feel like relics from another lifetime.
I clear my throat, trying to dispel the tension hanging in the air. “Sorry about the mess,” I say, glancing at the scattered books strewn across the floor. I have no idea why it’s in this state – probably my dad, drunk on another bender and searching for some mystery clue or other to feed into his drink and drug induced psychosis.
When all this is over, I won’t be sad not to have him in my life anymore. He hasn’t been a father to me since the first time he raised his fists against me, but ever since the first day he took my life, he’s been dead to me.
Odi gives me a half-hearted smile. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I haven’t seen your room before.”
I chuckle softly and pick up the clutter, moving things mindlessly from one spot to another, not quite sure what else to do. The truth is, I have too much nervous energy that I need to expend. Tomorrow’s wedding will forever change our lives, for better or worse.
As I tidy up, Odi walks over to the window and gazes out at the moonlit garden below and the forest beyond. The moon casts a haunting glow on her face, accentuating the worry lines etched into her forehead. I can’t help but feel a pang of guilt, knowing that I’m partly responsible for the weight she carries. But deep down, I also know that we’re in this together, bound by more than just tomorrow’s ceremony.
