Page 49 of Keep Me

“Hey,” I mumble, looking back at the page I was just on. “What’s up?”

“Where’s Killian?” she asks.

My head slants toward her. “How the hell should I know?”

I haven’t seen him in days. I know he’s here in the house. I feel and hear his movements around me every day. But we don’t acknowledge each other or talk. We begrudgingly cohabitate.

In fact, I don’t think I’ve even made eye contact with him since that night two months ago when he pinned me to the bed like a territorial ape. It was that night that I knew Ireallyhad to keep my distance from Killian. Not because he’s dangerousor cruel but because we could easily teeter into treacherous territory.

When our arguments grow particularly intense, it’s hard to tell what is hate and what is passion. This thing between us is like a spreading fire, and every time we light the match, I never know where it will end. The desire to punch him and the desire to kiss him feel the same.

“How is my brother?” Anna asks as she lowers herself into an armchair.

I drop my book on the table and sit up, staring at her impatiently. “You realize he’s not really my husband, right? I have no clue how he is, Anna. We don’t talk. We’re not even friends.”

She waves me off, and I get the feeling she’s trying to ignore the truth sitting right in front of her. “I know that. I just mean… has he left the house at all?”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I scowl at her. “No. And while we’re on the subject…” My tone is exasperated as I clench my hands between my knees. “Why didn’t you tell me about that? He hasn’t left the house inten years?”

Anna puts her face in her hands. “I wasn’t sure. None of us were. We had our suspicions, but how could we know?”

“What the hell happened? How could younotknow?”

She bursts out of her seat, pacing the room. “Our parents were killed in a car accident when Killian was just eighteen. The rest of us went to live with our aunt and uncle, but Killian stayed here. He became a different person after they died. He used to be so…happy and ambitious. Then, it was like…he fell apart. He went to uni and partied all the time. Drank too much and stopped coming around.”

Leaning forward, I hang on to every word, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling of regret in my stomach as I think about Killian in such pain. Alone.

“So why are you doing this now? Why are you trying to take his house away?” I ask.

Her eyes squeeze shut, and I see the pain etched in her features. “It’s my aunt who really wants him out.”

Anna sits down again, and I can see the discomfort in her eyes. “Two years ago, my brother Declan discovered just how out of hand Killian’s parties had become. I won’t go into detail, but he turned our family’s house into…” Her voice trails as her cheeks begin to blush.

“Into what?” I press.

“It doesn’t matter,” she responds, waving the answer away. “The point is that my aunt doesn’t want to see our family home treated like some sort of…sex club.”

I press my lips together. I swear, every time this woman opens her mouth, I get more and more irate with what she says. What kind of family treats each other this way? How can they claim to love him so much but want to hurt him at the same time?

“It’shishouse,” I argue, a touch too loudly. I slam my hand against the arm of the sofa. “Legally, it’s his, right? So he can do whatever he wants with it. It’sjusta house. And so what if he doesn’t leave it? It might be the only thing in his life that brings him comfort, but here you are, the people who are supposed to love him, and you’re trying to take that way. Killian might actually be hurting, and you only want to hurt him more! What is wrong with you people?”

“What’s going on in here?” a deep voice bellows from the doorway. Sylvie and I spin around to find Killian standing there, watching us with an expression of anger.

“Killian,” she says softly as she stands up.

He ignores her and turns his eyes toward me. “Why are you yelling at my sister?”

“I—” The words get stuck on my tongue. WhywasI just yelling at her?

“It’s okay, Killian. She was just sticking up for you.”

“I was not,” I argue.

He snickers as he crosses his arms over his chest. My blood is still hot with anger that I don’t understand.

“The holidays are coming up,” Anna declares. “Auntie Lorna would really like to see you both at the Hogmanay party.”

“No,” Killian replies before she’s even done speaking.

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