Page 83 of The Scars of Us

I could still hear them arguing outside the apartment as my face burned with a combination of rage and sadness.How can my own mother blame me for what Kaleb did to me?How is it my fault?

Hot tears ran down my cheeks as a small sob burst through my throat. Ryker turned around, abandoning his defensive stance to cradle me to his chest. “Don’t cry, baby. She doesn’t know what the fuck she’s talking about.”

The feel of his smooth, bare skin against me was soothing, helping calm my ragged emotions. My mom and I were never that close. Kaleb had always been her favorite, but her words still stung regardless.

“She hates me,” I cried into his chest.

“She doesn’t hate you. And if she does, then it’s her loss.” He rubbed my back softly. “For her to choose that monster over you is ridiculous. You’re a beautiful, amazing woman.”

Hearing the door open and shut, I peeked under Ryker’s arm to see Kamden walking towards us. I pulled back and wiped my face when he reached us.

“You okay?” he asked with concern.

I sniffled as I nodded. “Yeah, hurt and confused, but I’ll be fine.”

Ryker continued to rub my back as Kamden said, “I’m not condoning her actions or anything, but she’s just having a hard time dealing with all this. I don’t know how I’d cope if my son had molested his twin sister for most of their lives, especially when I hadn’t known.”

“But it’s not Kaiya’s fault. There’s no reason for your mom to blame her, especially after everything Ky’s been through,” Ryker defended with a scowl.

Kamden gave him a death glare before focusing his attention back to me. “I’m not trying to justify her actions, I’m just trying to help you understand why she’s acting the way she is.”

“I know,” I sighed. I couldn’t help but feel a little pang of pain in my chest because it did seem like he was defending her. I knew it must have been difficult for her to deal with the issues within our family. My dad had left after Kaleb was committed, making it worse, but there was no reason for her to start pointing fingers, especially when they were being directed at the wrong person. It was too early for me to try to make sense of what had just happened, so I opted for escape. “I’m going back to sleep.”

Ryker followed me back to my room, where we cocooned back in the warmth of my bed. Facing him, I placed a kiss on his collarbone as his arms came around me. His lips pressed against my forehead as he draped my leg over his thigh, fitting the lower half of our bodies together. He pulled the blanket over us, and as we lay there, entangled in my bed, I never felt safer.

After Kaiya’s confrontation with her bitch of a mom, she stayed in bed, pretending to sleep, long after I knew she was awake. I lay there with her, faking sleep, too, until I figured out a plan I thought would cheer her up. Then, I got out of bed and headed for the kitchen.

Kamden was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking coffee when I walked in. Remaining silent, I walked to the refrigerator and opened it, pulling out a few items and setting them on the counter.

“How is she?” Kamden asked. I could feel his eyes on my back as I began making Kaiya breakfast.

I didn’t turn around. “Not good. She’s laying in bed, pretending to sleep.”

“I’m going to go talk to her,” he stated. The sound of his chair pushing against the tile followed his words, and then I heard his footsteps leaving the room.

Kaiya loved French toast. Luckily, it was one of my favorites too, especially since it was a cheat day only meal, so I knew how to make it.

After I fixed a plate for Kaiya, I poured her a small glass of milk, grabbed the syrup, and put it all on a tray before carrying it down the hall toward her room. Kamden exited, leaving the door slightly cracked. He didn’t say anything as he walked past me, but I caught the smile that crept over his face when he saw the tray in my hands.

I gently kicked the door open and walked in. Kaiya was still in bed, facing the window. When I rounded the bed, her puffy, red eyes locked on mine, and I wanted to punch something because of the pain in them. I never wanted her to feel pain again now that her bastard of a brother wasn’t getting released.

Her gaze traveled down to the tray in my hands. Those pretty lips curved slightly as I sat down beside her, placing the tray over her lap. “I made you breakfast,” I said, hoping the gesture would brighten her mood.

As she focused on the plate, her smile widened and her eyes lightened as she looked back at me. “Baby, you didn’t have to do this.”

Leaning toward her, I kissed her temple. “I wanted to cheer you up. I know how much you love French toast.”

“I do. Thank you,” she replied genuinely, her voice losing most of the sadness present earlier. Picking up the fork and knife, she started cutting the bread into small squares before pouring syrup on top.

As she ate, I stole bites from her plate, getting my fingers sticky with syrup. After I took my fifth piece, Kaiya smacked my hand and playfully scolded, “Stop taking my food. Get your own.”

Chuckling, I slowly sucked the syrup from my fingers, making sure she was watching me. Those beautiful blue eyes heated with desire as she focused on my mouth, her lips parting slightly as she swallowed deeply.Fuck me.

As I moved toward her, I heard her breath stutter right before our lips met. Her mouth was slightly sticky and sweet from the syrup as my tongue parted her lips, meeting hers and tangling languidly.

I nibbled on her bottom lip before pulling away. Her cheeks were flushed as she peeked up at me from beneath her dark lashes. I loved when she looked at me that way, so innocent and seductive at the same time.

“French toast is definitely my favorite,” I joked as I licked my lips.

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