Page 68 of The Vanishing Place
“You didn’t see anything.”
“Your dad…” Asher hesitated. “Is he always like that? It’s just, sometimes, he seems…”
Effie wiped herself off and stood up. “You don’t know anything about my dad,” she said, glaring at him. “Or me.”
Asher followed her as she walked away, trailing her like a pathetic puppy.
“I’m worried about you,” he said. “The way he gets, it’s not right. He scares me.”
“Then leave.” Effie turned and looked back at him. “Leave.”
“He shouldn’t hurt you like that. It’s not normal.”
She scowled at him. “And what, you are?”
“He needs help.”
“And you need to wear sunglasses.”
Asher reached out and grabbed her arm, and Effie wanted to punch him. She tried to tug free, but he held her still, staring at her.
“It would be better,” he said, quiet and serious, “for him to have a rock hung around his neck and to drown at sea.” Asher gripped tight. Too tight. “Better to drown than to harm his children.”
Effie pulled her arm free. “Have you gone proper mad?”
“Matthew 18:6,” said Asher, his face stern. “God promises to visit terrible consequences upon any man who hurts his children.”
“Visit upon?” Effie backed away. “You’ve definitely gone crazy.”
“I’m worried.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You’re just a kid.”
Asher tried to touch her again, and Effie spun around.
“Look,” she shouted. “I don’t need help from you or your stupid god.” She held his gaze. “It’s bullshit, all of it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Ha.”
Effie looked into his eyes, into those two deep pools—sky blue and night black—and smiled.
“It’s all total crap, Asher.”
For a moment, he was quiet, just staring at her. “My eyes weren’t always like this,” he said eventually. “Different colors.”
Effie shrugged. He could have had one green and one purple eye for all she cared.
“They both used to be blue,” he continued, like she gave a damn. “Two normal eyes, ’til the day I turned thirteen.”
She raised an eyebrow at that. “Pretty shitty birthday present.”
“And no return receipt.”
Effie rolled her eyes. “So?” she asked, unable to stop herself. “What happened?”
