Page 60 of Silent Girl

We don’t do this. We don’t have heart-to-heart talks. I do that with Jonah, not anyone else. “Because that’s what she said.”

“Who?”

“My mother,” I say and watch as my father’s face hardens.

“Aliyah, your mother was a raging psychopath. You have no idea how much it haunts me to have to admit to myself that she did what she did to you, in my house, under my nose, and I was too blind to see it.” He shakes his head.

“It wasn’t your fault. I tried, Daddy. I tried really hard to be good. But I kept messing up. and it’s my fault that she left,” I tell him.

“None of what happened is your fault, and she didn’t leave, Aliyah.Igot rid of her. No one will ever lay a hand on my daughter—on any of my children—and live to talk about it.”

I blink.Did he just admit to killing her?

“But she was your wife,” I gasp.

“She was insane is what she was. We had an arranged marriage. I never loved her, Aliyah. But you, I fucking loved you the minute you were born, more than I’ve ever loved anything in my life—don’t tell your brothers that,” he says, and I swear I see the makings of a grin before he locks it away. “She couldn’t handle it. I knew she was jealous of you, but I didn’t know the extent of it. I never would have let that happen to you had I known…”

“I always thought that you resented me because I made her leave,” I admit for the first time.

“No. Never. I could never resent you. You’re my daughter, Aliyah,” he says.

“I’m sorry.”

“Does he make you happy? I’ve noticed you’ve been different. Is it because of him?”

“He does,” I say. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. I’m gonna do nothing. If King makes you happy, then I’m happy. But the minute he causes a single tear to fall from your eyes, I’ll makehisbleed,” my dad threatens.

“Really? You’re not gonna make him disappear?”

“Not unless he gives me a reason,” my dad says.

“Can you make sure the boys leave him alone too?” I know it’s a stretch but I have to ask.

“That, I can’t promise.” Dad laughs.

“Great,” I mumble under my breath.

“Aliyah, you are the most loveable person I’ve ever met. The fact you’ve been thinking you weren’t all these years breaks my fucking heart.”

“When I first started seeing Liam, the nightmares came back.Shecame back. I guess old wounds were just cut wide open.”

“Do you need to go back to therapy? I can have someone do house calls.”

“No, I just need time,” I say, hoping it’s the truth.

“You know that boy’s already in love with you, don’t you?” my dad tells me.

“No, he’s not.”

“He is. You’ll see.”

“How do you know?” I’m curious if it’s really that obvious to everyone who isn’t me.

“Because he knows I hold his whole career in my hands, and he still admitted to being with you. He was prepared to endure whatever fallout would come, because he wants to be with you regardless.”

I stare at my dad. I have no idea if that’s true. I can’t imagine Liam being in love with me.

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