Page 32 of Bound By Secrets

We both climb out of the car and walk up the pathway to their house. Kat unlocks the door and walks in, shouting out to her parents. I step in, and instantly, my gaze catches on the myriadof pictures hanging on the walls in the hallway and living room through the doorway on my left.

Pictures of Kat and Nate through the years, a couple with Brad in them, too. My heart tightens as I take in the pairs of shoes thrown to one side of the entryway, the big sprawling words of love painted on the wall above the sofa and the cabinet in the corner that is filled with trophies, medals and achievements throughout the years.

This is what a family home is supposed to look like. I think about my own house, the bare walls, the cold and uneasy feeling I get whenever I walk around. Even before Mum left, our house was the same.

My father has always been stern and callous, but I never knew how cruel he could be until my mum left us. Cameron was basically my father's double. He’s been cruel ever since we were kids, and for as long as I can remember, he’s always had this calculating look in his eyes that gives me shivers. Callum’s always been convinced that he’s a sociopath and honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if he is.

Shaking myself out of my depressing thoughts, I follow Kat through the living room and into the kitchen, where an older version of Kat is sitting, sipping from a cup and flicking through a bunch of papers that are spread across the table in front of her. Her eyes flick up to us, her head cocking to the side as she takes me in, and then she jumps up from her chair and rushes over to me.

“You must be Callie!” As I’m about to reply, she crushes me into a hug and kisses my cheek. My whole body tenses for a few seconds before relaxing.

“Oh, it’s so great to meet you! My kids have rambled on about you for days, and I was just waiting for the day I got to meet you and see what all the fuss was about.” She pulls back, smiling at me, her hands still clasping my shoulders. I laugh awkwardly,looking over at Kat for some guidance because I have no idea what to say or do in this situation.

“Mum, chill out and let the poor girl breathe.” Her mother’s eyes go wide, and her hands slip from my shoulders, taking a step back.

“Oh, I’m so sorry honey, I guess I got a little excited.”

I assure her it’s okay, and she leads us over to the table.

“Here, sit down. Would you both like a drink?”

“Sophie, stop coddling Kat and her friend. You know it embarrasses her.” A deep, familiar, gruff voice says from around the corner.

My head whips to the side, eyes narrowed as I search the empty doorway for the owner of the voice. He steps around the corner, and the moment his eyes meet mine, his footsteps falter, his mouth popping open in shock. His eyes flash with recognition as they assess my face, exploring every detail before locking with mine again.

My brows furrow as I take in his weathered features, his dazzling green eyes and thick brows that are raised high on his forehead at this very moment.

Okay, so he seems to know me, but how do I know him?

I feel like the answer is on the tip of my tongue, but my brain is having a hard time connecting the dots. His voice is so familiar. I’m sure that I’ve heard it before. I just can’t for the life of me remember where.

“Calliope?” His voice rings inside my head as my brain scrambles to place it. He steps forward and then glances at Kat and her mother, who are both watching us with confusion etched onto their faces. “Calliope Conrad?” My heart starts pumping violently inside my chest. He knows me, but I still can’t figure out where I know his voice from.

Does he know my dad?

I shoot up out of my chair, panicking at the thought of this man being connected to my father. My abrupt movement distantly impacts my chair against the floor. Kat rushes over and pulls me to her side, glancing nervously between me and her dad.

“Colin, what’s going on?” Colin. His name is familiar too…

Oh my god! Colin… that’s the moment it clicks in my head, and I realise why I know his voice.

Through hazy vision, I can see that he’s talking, I can see his mouth moving, his eyes shooting over to his wife and then back to me, but my head is spinning. The sound of my pulse thumping in my ears, drowning out the sound of anything else. I take a couple of steps back, pulling myself from Kat’s hold and trying to make sense of the memories rushing into my mind.

My neck was aching from being slanted in an uncomfortable position for so long, but I forced myself to stay still as I strained my ears and tried to hear what my mum was talking about. She was standing outside the car under an umbrella in the torrential rain, talking to someone, and she sounded like she was crying. It was hard to make out what they were talking about because all I could hear was my sister softly breathing beside me and the rain pelting down on the outside of the car. I cracked my eyes open again, trying to see the person that she was talking to, but he was standing off to the side, out of view. Mum kept nervously looking back at the car and peering through the windshield to check that Crystal and I were still asleep so I couldn’t move to try and get a look at him. But I could hear parts of what they were saying. Mum was talking about Dad, she mentioned Paul as well and something about a warehouse. The man shouted back at her, not in a nasty way, though. It was just so that he could be heard over the downpour. He said he needed more time and then mentionedJohnny. A crease formed between my brows as I wondered what they could be talking about. I quickly flattened my brows when my mum pulled the door open to the car.

“I’m not leaving without my boys. They need to get out, too.” She sounded determined, her voice strong and biting.

“We’ll get something sorted soon, Clarissa, but it’s not a great life on the run.” The caring tone of his voice made my heart twist. My mum huffed out a laugh.

“Staying won’t make for a great life either. I’ll work on getting some evidence, but please, Colin, you need to get us out of there before things get worse.”

My chest gets tight, and my breathing shallows as the memory crashes into me. My hands start shaking, and I can feel my legs getting weak as my mind is still warring with what I’ve just remembered.

Warm hands cup my cheeks before I’m pulled against a firm, solid chest. Arms wrapping around me. I can hear voices whispering around me as I try to get my breathing under control, inhaling the smokey, lavender scent that seems to be doused on the t-shirt that my face is buried into.

“Are you okay?”

I pull back to look up at Brad’s swirling chocolate eyes that are staring back at me with so much worry. I peek over his shoulder and see Nate behind him with the same expression. I peer into his eyes for a few more seconds, he has the same eyes as his father… Colin Johnson.

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