Page 51 of Darkened Truths
I smile down at my phone and shoot her a quick reply to be safe.
While cleaning, I took the time to plan to catch Julien off guard and be able to get a few words in. It has to be tonight. If I wait, or say nothing and ignore this, he’ll think he can do thisagain and again. I may not be from his world, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to fight for myself. Pair that with the almost daily training I’m getting from Wesley and I should be able to get a few kicks in.
My mouth pops open when a thought smacks into me. Were Wesley and Zander accomplices in this? Did they set me up? Keep me out and away, so he had time to do this? I shake my head in disbelief.
No.
Wes wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t let Julien mess with me for the hell of it.
Why not though? It’s not like I’ve known him for long. He could be just as cunning as the rest of them. Disbelief floods me and I refuse to believe either of them had anything to do with it.
But I’ve been here less than two weeks, and neither of them is pushing me around like Julien is. Maybe that was the plan all along. Make me feel safe—secure with them, make me let my guard down. Wouldn’t that be funny? Get me to fall for them and then turn around and use it as a cruel joke.
My stomach sinks at the thought, even though my heart is screaming at me to not listen to my traitorous brain. Rage blinds me as I pace around my small space. Everything seems to be accounted for. I had my laptop and phone with me in my bag, and other than some clothes, I didn’t bring many personal effects from home.
I think about texting my dad to ask him to find out more about Julien, but then think better of it. After the crap he’s pulled and the lies he’s been spewing, I can’t trust him. I rub my aching chest as that thought guts me. He’s the last person I have, and I can’t trust him anymore. He’s tossed me aside like I’m nothing.
Yet I still find myself dialing his number. It rings…rings…rings. I expect it to click over to voicemail, but his familiar voice comes through the phone.
“Hey sweetie, how’s school going?”
Tears fill my eyes at his happy, familiar tone. This, this is the man that I know and love. The one who calls me sweetie and smiles as he talks to me.
“Daddy,” I say with a breath.
“Riley, is everything okay?” His voice changes in an instant, like he’s on alert.
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Y-yeah. It’s going okay.”
“I miss you. How are classes?”
“I miss you too. Classes are okay. My roommate is great, though.” I pause, the actual question I want to ask on the tip of my tongue.
“Good, I’m happy to hear that. You’ll come out of there stronger and smarter than ever. You’ve got a bright future.”
Gag.He’s talking to me like he’s sitting around a bunch of people, putting on a show for them. Or maybe…that’s exactly what he’s doing. “How come you haven’t returned my calls?”
He laughs, and there’s some static before his voice is directly in my ear. “Not sure what you’re talking about. We spoke the other day.”
I shake my head, disappointment filling me. He’s using me as a pawn in this game of his. “I hate you,” I whisper as my hand shakes and I fight to keep the sob at bay. This is truly a turning point in the relationship I have with my dad and not for the better. Things had been going downhill for a while, but I never pictured cutting myself out of his life. He’s my dad.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Riles.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you again.”
I hang up and wipe tears from my eyes, not allowing him to get the last word in, and I block his number. If he won't make the effort, then neither will I. I’m sure he’ll send word through James if he really needs to get in touch with me. The thought of also blocking James crosses my mind, but in the past few years since he’s come on, he’s been more of a father to me than my own. I wonder if he has a wife and kids.
I can’t go down rabbit holes right now. Not when I have the chance to make Julien pay for what he did to my room. I throw my phone on my bed and pull my running shoes on, like I’m going for a jog…at night.
This will never work.I know I shouldn’t be walking around campus alone. Especially in the dark. I push out a heavy breath and sit on the edge of my bed. A knock on my door has me looking up and narrowing my eyes. Now, who could that be? Not Ava. She would have called out for me by now if she didn’t have her key, and not Nick, because he’s with her. And that’s the end of my friends list. The door handle jiggles, and I can’t help how my heart kicks up a notch and my breathing comes out a little ragged.
And now I know I’m paranoid. This is stupid—I’mbeing stupid.
“Who is it?” I push an exasperated sigh past my lips.Get a grip.
No one answers. I grab the closest thing to me, which is a desk lamp, and hold it, ready to bash someone over the head with it. I slowly wrap my hand around the door handle and apply a death grip to it before I take a soundless breath and pull the door open with force.
Derek stands on the other side of the door and jumps back at the sight of me. He eyes the lamp I’m holding above my head and looks back down at me, waiting for me to put it down. It’s timeslike these that I wish I were taller. Being able to look down on someone would be more threatening.
