Page 75 of Diluted Truths
“Why is she still living here?”
“When everything is final, I’m leaving Grantsville. The house will be hers.”
I stood and literally cheered.
This was the greatest news.
I knew getting out of this town would be good for him. Kai laughed at my antics as I danced around the kitchen. After a minute I sat down and we discussed where he would be going and when. He wasn’t sure of either yet, and it would depend on when his transfer request to the army went through, but it was obvious he was excited.
I also learned that Mckinley went to stay with her parents last night while we were here. He was livid that she lied to us and caused us so much fear and stress. She was extremely manipulative, but always had been.
In school she was in between Kai and Nate’s age group and was oddly obsessed with the former. I don’t think Kai would have cared about her feelings, but she was borderline stalkerish, even at one point breaking into Nate and Kai’s room in the middle of the night.
“Morning, losers,” Theo yawned as she wandered in, also seeming exhausted still in her pajamas.
God, I felt so guilty for keeping her up.
Kai smiled. “I haven’t heard that greeting in waytoo long.”
It was her way of saying good morning to us when we were younger. Theo gave off very wholesome vibes, but Violet got her spitfire personality from someone, and it was definitely not her father.
“Why do you look like death?”Kai grimaced the moment the words were out of his mouth. He never did have the best filter.
Theo rolled her eyes as she prepared her own tea and sat to join us at the table. “Jack’s nightmare woke Violet and me up. I couldn’t get Vi back to sleep for almost two hours.”
“I’m so sorry, Theo,” I whispered to my sister.
Theo put her tea down and turned to me with only compassion in her gaze. “Don’t you dare be sorry. You’re probably twice as exhausted as me. How long have you been having them now?”
“Two-ish weeks. Since I was at your house.” She was right, I was so fucking tired all of the time now. I had kind of adapted to it after the two weeks of constant nightmares.
Kai looked at me confused, and with a look in his eyes I couldn’t place. “You’re having nightmares?” he asked.
I nodded.
“What are they about?”
“I don’t actually know. I can’t remember any of them,” I responded.
Kai continued to look at me for a moment, seeming…nervous?“You said you’ve been having them for two weeks?”
Once again I nodded. “I think it has to do with this case I’m working on. Researching a couple of missing persons who were found. I think it has some ties to a cult.”
“What cult?”
“Cult of Creatio,” I took another sip. Kai was oddly concerned as he heard the name. I was also stressed, especially after Griffin’s call and him alluding to me ‘being next’. But Kai didn’t know about any of this.
Kai continued to look at me, growing anxious by the second. Luckily, Violet entered just at that time, seeming to break Kai out of his trance.
“Mornin’ Mama,” Violet said in a sleepy voice as she rubbed her eyes. “Mornin’ Auntie Jack, Mornin’ Uncle Kai.”
I couldn't help but chuckle at the girl.
“Good Morning Vi, you want breakfast?” I asked her and watched her nod in response as she crawled into Theo’s lap. She was such a mama’s girl.
I stood and whipped together a quick hash for us all, and set aside a portion for Will when he woke up. The four of us discussed what we wanted to do today and I caught Theo up on all of the drama surrounding Mckinley. I could tell Kai was working extra hard to get on Violet’s good side. It felt like old times as we enjoyed breakfast together.
We were only missing Nate.
