Page 96 of Indigo Sky

"Dad's looking to retire in a couple of years," I added.

"I have to," he said with a drawn-out sigh. "Gotta start living before this job kills me."

In unison, Mom and Kate uttered sounds of understanding and acknowledgment while I tried not to zero in on that word—kill.

Kill, kill, kill …

It was impossible, and I thought about every nightmare I couldn’t find it in me to sleep through.

***

My parents got ready for work while Kate and I retreated to my room. It was still early morning, the day had only just begun, but after being awake for over an hour, I wasn't sure I could get back to sleep even if I wanted to, especially not in the fragile state I’d found my mind in. But with Mom and Dad bustling around, getting their things together before heading their separate ways, I wasn't sure I wanted to throw Kate onto my bed and have my way with her either. Not yet.

So, we talked instead.

"I love them," she commented softly once she was seated on my bed.

"They love you too," I said, taking the spot beside her.

"You're really lucky to have them."

I dropped my gaze to my hands and nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"You are their world." A forlorn sigh passed through her lips, and I realized she was upset. "They look at you the way my dad used to look at me. I used to be his world too."

"I'm sure you still are," I said, not knowing what else to say as I reached out to take her hand and threaded my fingers between hers.

"No," she replied with a brash shake of her head. "He doesn't even know who I am most of the time. He just … tells me stories about his daughter, like I'm not sitting right in front of him."

I furrowed my brow, painfully aware of the creaking, splintering sound of my heart breaking for the pain she held in hers. "But … are theygoodstories?"

A warbled laugh blended into a bubbled sob as she nodded. "Always. And he never once mentions that she's a stripper without any hope for a future."

“See?” I said. “You’re still his world.”

She hastily wiped the hem of her borrowed T-shirt beneath her eyes, sniffling gently. Guilt weighed heavily against my chest when I imagined the regret she might be feeling. If she felt she should’ve been at home with her father instead of being here with me.

But then she rested her head against my bare shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her and thought,And you’re mine too.

I thought about saying it aloud. I thought she deserved to hear it, that my feelings had grown beyond simpleI love yous. But Dad wasn’t done interrupting my plans for the day.

“Revan!”

I turned toward the door at the urgency in his voice, coming from downstairs.

“Revan! Hurry!”

I looked at Kate for a moment to exchange a worried expression. Then, together, we left my room and ran down the stairs. Dad was in the living room, and Mom stood at the open front door, a hand over her mouth. The scene was concerning.

My heart took off at a gallop as I turned back to my father, dread churning sick in my gut.

“What’s going on?”

He gestured to the door. “Look outside.”

Kate stood next to my father at the foot of the stairs as I did what he’d asked. I guessed maybe she was scared of what might be awaiting us out there. Maybe she thought the worst, the way I did, considering the reactions of both my parents. I couldn’t say what was going through her mind, but I’d seen enough horror movies to fill my brain with a thousand horrible possibilities.

But in none of them had I imagined the windows of my car to be shattered, the paint job to be scratched to oblivion, or the driveway to be spray-painted with letters, readingWHORE FUCKERandFREAKandWATCH YOUR BACK.

---