Page 22 of Twisted Thorns

"Wait!" I call out, desperate and confused. But he's already walking away, soon disappearing into the shadows of the woods.

I stand alone, my heart racing, my mind spinning as I try to make sense of what just happened.

Only moments ago, I was reveling in the simple joys of nature, content in my solitude. Now everything feels different. Charged. Alive.

My fingers drift to my cheek, chasing the phantom caress of his hand. Kieran. A complete stranger, yet somehow, there is a magnetic pull I don't understand. Now curiosity burns within me, an insatiable need to unravel the mystery of this dark, intense man. What is this connection between us?

As the rising sun causes the sky to turn from golden pink to bright blue, I pause, realizing I've been here much longer than planned. I need answers and I think I know who may have them.

Chapter 12

Avalina

I arrive at my sister's house, a modest brick home tucked away in a quiet suburban neighborhood. I knock sharply on the vibrant red door, adorned with a wreath of dried flowers. The door swings open, revealing my sister's smiling face, framed by the colorful fall leaves that cover the front yard. Surprise spread across her features as she greets me into her cozy abode.

"Avalina? What are you doing here so late?"

I step inside. "I need to ask you something."

She studies me for a moment before nodding slowly. We sit at the kitchen table.

"What do you know about Kieran Calder?" I ask without preamble.

My sister frowns, hesitation in her eyes. "Why the sudden interest? Have you remembered something?"

"I just... I need to know what you know. It's hard to explain."

She sighs. "Avalina, perhaps it best if you leave the past in the past."

"Please," I implore my sister. "Tell me everything you know."

She looks uneasy but continues. "You and Kieran... you had a relationship before the accident."

"You knew about this? And you didn't tell me?" I exclaim, rage rising to the surface. I back away from Iris, needing to put distance between us.

"I'm sorry, Avie!" Iris wails, as she moves to follow me. "I never liked your relationship with Kieran, sneaking around and trying to hide it from everyone. You know what they say about the Calder family, you know what he does. Is that really someone you want to be with?" Iris pleads. "He's dangerous, Avie."

"Better than boring, better than living a lie." I reply, fury sharpening my tongue. How dare she keep this from me? And then act like she did it to protect me?

“Why go through all the trouble of showing me pictures and videos, trying to ‘help me get my memory back’ when the whole time you were keeping memories from me? Who are you to decide what memories I’m allowed to have?” I’m shouting now, my words honed blades designed to fly true.

Iris' face falls. I feel like I should feel guilty, but mostly I feel free. Having this out in the open, knowing what Kieran has told me is true, I feel a weight lifting off my chest. I look away, letting the silence grow.

I will not apologize for my words, not when Iris has been trying to get me to go back to my old life this entire time, when all I wanted was to break free.

"How did you find out?" Iris whispers, the silence too loud to speak.

"Kieran told me," I reply, my words short. "When did I tell you? About him, I mean."

"You told me after you were with him for a few months. Swore me to secrecy."

"Did Mom and Dad know?"

"About Kieran? No way. You know how they are. They wouldn't approve."

She's right. Our parents are all about the appearance one presents to the world, and dating a mafia boss wouldn't fit their image.

"I stand by what I said, Avalina," Iris tells me. I know she's serious when she uses my full name. "Be sure about Kieran. His life is dangerous, and he'll just bring that danger to you."

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