Page 74 of The Blue Rose
I stand there, arms crossed over my chest, watching the two of them interact. They both know something, and whatever it is I am going to find out.
Her mouth thins into a line. “Oh. Why don’t you come inside Serena, and I’ll make us coffee.”
I look to my dad, my anger and desperation rising “I need answers.”
He steps to the side. “Come inside and we can talk.”
I nod my head and walk past both of them, stopping because I’ve never been here and I have no idea where the kitchen is. I don’t dare look behind me, I can already tell both their faces wear looks of pity, and I don’t need that.
“Follow me. I’ll show you where the kitchen is,” Dad’s fiancé says. I know he told me her name once, but I didn’t care to remember it.
Following her to the kitchen I sit at the table, and Dad sits on the other side of the it. His fiancé starts to make coffee for all of us.
“What happened to Jessica?” I ask again, impatience lacing my tone.
My dad cradles his head in his palm, looking down, stress radiating off him. “Give me a moment to wake up, Serena. Sharon is making us some coffee, I’ll answer your questions then.”
I bang my hand on the table, heat thrumming through my veins. “No! I didn’t drive all night to wait for you to have yourcoffee. I need answers. Now!” I yell, my body starting to shake.
“Serena…” Before he can finish, Sharon walks over, placing coffee in front of us and taking a seat next to my father. She grabs his hand, her thumb rubbing some of his stress away. He gives her a small smile, and she returns it. The motion has me remembering how he was like this with Mom, and seeing him like this withSharonhas my hands balling into fists.
He takes a sip, stalling. “What do you remember?”
What do I remember?That’s a stupid question. He knows I forgot.Wait… does he know that my memory is all messed up?My hands relax, and shoulders slump.Has he been lying to me?
I look at Sharon, my brow lifting in a silent question.
“It’s okay, she knows everything.”
Of course she does.
“All I remember is that…” I can’t even say it, if I do, I feel like it will be true.I’m not ready to accept that.I start to tap my fingers on my coffee mug, nervous energy surrounding me.
My dad grabs my hands, silence filling the kitchen. “Tell me what you remember, Serena. I can’t help you if you don’t.”
I take a deep breath, tears falling down my cheeks. I look at my fathers hand in Sharon’s, both squeezing the other for support. “I. killed. her,” I whisper.
I look up to meet my father’s eyes, finding no shock on his or Sharon's face, just relief. “So you finally remember?” my dad asks.
Now I’m the one shocked, the tears falling harder. “No! I don’t remember; that’s the problem. All I remember is standing over her body, covered in blood, and you. That’s it.” My breathing becomes erratic, my vision going blurry at the edges. “Please, Dad, tell me what happened.”
His eyes drop, his body seeming to collapse in on itself. “I can only tell you what happened afterwards, after I walked in. Only you know what happened. What caused it.”
My head tilts to the side. “You don’t know why I did it?”How can they not know the reason if they helped me after I killed her?
He shakes his head, his face paling. “No. I only helped you clean it up. After she was gone, it’s like your brain flipped a switch, just like with your mom.”
“With mom? What do you mean?
He takes a heavy breath, his eyes meeting mine without hesitation. “Serena, I never cheated on your mom.”
I scoff, pulling out of his grip and crossing my arms over my chest. “Yes, you did. I saw you with another woman when mom was dying.”
“Hunny, your mom was already dead.”
A sharp pain pierces the back of my head, the same pain I felt at Aster’s.Do I even want to remember?I cry even harder, between sobs I manage to choke out the word. “I. Killed. Mom?”
The words leave my lips, but I don’t believe them. Yet… my memories don’t lie.I don’t understand? Why would I kill my own mother?She was my best friend. “Dad, please tell me that isn’t true.”
