Page 77 of The Broken Queen
“Okay, we’re doing gifts, everyone!” she called out.
The first one was from Juan and Taylor. It was a barnwood frame painted white, and inside was a photo of me, Gio, and Kingston. I had no idea where or how she got the picture. It was the three of us in a group, but while I looked at the camera, each brother decided to look at me. This was the second photo I had seen captured like this.
“Mom, you found another one.” Gio groaned.
Kingston laughed while tossing a wadded-up napkin at him. “We really never stood a chance.”
“We all saw it for so long, way before any of you,” Taylor joked, but it warmed my heart.
The next gift was from Alex. A gift box of all farmer related things. An egg apron, a sun hat, gardening gloves, warm socks, chicken feed, and a few other items that made me laugh.
“Thanks, Alex.”
“It was mostly selfish because I want to come over and play with all the farm animals you eventually get over there.”
The room erupted in more laughter and smiles while I went forthe next gift. This had plain wrapping paper, but the box was huge. I began unwrapping it and then lifted the lid.
There, folded inside, was the dress I had picked out to wear during my wedding to Adrian. The air seemed to be sucked out of the room, the sound dulling to a ringing. “Who sent this?” I rasped while plucking the card up. I knew I shouldn’t read it, and yet, I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
Lánya,
Enjoy your time on the farm.
It’s about to come to an end. You’ve already managed to kill one suitor off, I encourage you to release the twins before they take up any more space in that back field. I have a new alliance for you to prepare for.
-Scotty
The twins were behind me when I finally released the note. Anger soured my tongue and had me leaving the table in a rush. I heard people yelling behind me, but I ran to my family wing and rushed into Scotty’s room.
No one had touched his things yet. He was meticulous about what he took, what he kept behind, and how he taunted me. Even now, I knew he was testing me. I knew this was a test and I was failing, but I also didn’t care anymore. I wanted this stupid game to be over.
I began pulling everything off his bed and pushing the mattress up. There was a photo of me and my dad together when I was small. I grabbed it and then began rifling through anything else left behind. He had boxes of photos, of notebooks, and memorabilia. He left behind suits and a few clothes, along with his prized baseball bats that had been signed by players in the MLB at some point. I began grabbing whatever I could and piling it in the middle of the room.
The twins appeared in the doorway seconds later. Kingston was holding the box that had the wedding dress inside.
I turned away from them and grabbed another box, tossing it into the center of the room. I wanted them to argue with me, to pull me away and tell me this wasn’t healthy. That I needed to just let itgo, and move on, but instead, Gio cleared his throat while Kingston rattled the box.
“Your dad is setting up a bonfire outside.”
I smiled as Gio stepped in and began gathering boxes.
An hour later,I was wrapped in a blanket, outside watching the embers glow against the dark sky. Everyone had pulled up a chair, and at some point, Juan had found a guitar and started singing. It was beautiful and perfect, and as I watched all of Scotty’s things burn, it healed something inside me.
The firelight caught on one of the scars over my knuckles, making me inspect the rest of my hands, but a much larger one came into view, covering them.
“One day you’ll stop hating him. I promise.” My dad held my hand and smiled at me.
I tried to believe him, but I wasn’t there yet. My dad had been broken, I was sure, by Scotty’s training, but it hadn’t quite been the same. Or perhaps it was…my mom once told me that my dad refused to speak or even see Scotty after they had gotten married. Dad even tried to kill him because he had endangered my mother. Ironically, it was her who brought them back together, and with news of being pregnant with me.
How fucking funny life is.
“How did the box even get mixed in with my other gifts?” I tugged at the frayed piece of the blanket in my lap.
“Your mother said it just appeared in the back of the car, along with the other presents she had wrapped. Taylor and Alex had both given their gifts to her because she was going to a local place to have them wrapped while she did her other shopping. When she went back to the car, she didn’t notice. She just assumed they’d split up one of the gifts that she’d been given to wrap.”
Fucking figured. Of course, Scotty was still watching us like a vulture, waiting for his prey to decay.I encourage you to release the twins before they take up any more space in that back field.
“Decker called me yesterday.”
