Page 28
Story: Ache For Her
“Greenie has no value for life,” Galen said, as if we already knew that.
I growled in frustration as Galen took what I’d been feeling right out of my head and put it into words. He hadn’t cared he’d killed my mother all those years ago, and he didn’t care about Delilah now. What kind of monster just didn’t care about anything?
“And they say we’re the heartless ones,” Galen mused, rolling his eyes. He tilted his head. “So, you went to Philly hoping you’d get some sort of satisfaction out of seeing Greenie dead, but instead, all it has done is make you angrier.”
“He hasn’t come for her,” I seethed.
Galen’s eyebrows furrowed, but as he stared, he seemed to understand something I didn’t. His eyes lit. “Oh.” He stood from his perch on the desk and moved forward. “It’s more than that then. You care for her.”
I closed my eyes. My very being denied it, but at the same time, there was a little inkling inside me that said it was true. How could that be though? Her grandfather killed my mother. She should be tainted by association. “No,” I said. “I just feel bad for her, and I’m pissed I haven’t been able to make him pay. How can I get my rightful revenge on someone who doesn’t care about anyone but himself?”
When I opened my eyes, Galen had his head cocked even further. “She makes you think of you. The little boy who had nowhere to go and nothing to live for. I see why you brought her here now.”
I hadn’t. I hadn’t just then until Galen put it into words.
Galen had fixed me. Surely, he could fix Delilah too. No one in this world wanted her. She was the little boy who cried over his mom’s dead body knowing she would never wake up again, but also not knowing what to do with a dead body. The little boy who scraped for food, taking anything he could get. He had a miserable existence before, but he knew what was coming would be far worse. “I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.
Galen looked toward the door. “She knows her grandfather won’t come for her?”
My hands clenched to fists. “She thought he would at first. But I sent him audio, video of me torturing her, and nothing has spurred him to respond. I think she understands now.”
Galen’s jaw clenched, and I knew it wasn’t because of what I admitted I’d done to her, it was because of Greenie’s complete lack of interest in her life. “Everyone should have one person in this world who cares whether they exist or not,” Galen said, his anger finally sparking. “Someone who would notice if they were gone and mourn them.”
I nodded. I’d been my mother’s. After that, Galen had always been that one person for me, and I for him. Maybe that was why I hated Kayleigh so much when she first got here. When I could see Galen slipping through the cracks and into her arms more than relying on me. It used to be just us for one another, but not anymore. I was the odd one out in a table made for two.
“What do you want to do?” Galen asked.
“He needs to pay,” I said, my temper flaring. “Not just for my mother, but for Delilah too, his own blood.”
“How do you want to do it?”
“I’d like to see him suffer, Galen. He has no idea what he did to me, and what he’s going to do to Delilah once she really realizes he never had any intention of coming for her. I went to his house after I sent the torture video. Things were carrying on like normal. Delilah’s room had been cleaned and made up like new. But worse yet?” This was the part I hadn’t told Delilah yet. This was the part that really sank home how much he didn’t care. “All aspects of her were gone from the room. No pictures, no mementos. Hell, her scent wasn’t even there anymore. It was as if he completely washed her away from his house.”
“Does Delilah know?”
“No.”
“Why does she think she’s here then?”
I blew out a breath. “I don’t know what she thinks. I just told her I needed to see you and that she was coming with me.”
Galen came up to me and put his hands on my forearms. My tight body relaxed instantly. “She’ll be safe here.”
“I don’t care,” I said, forcing the words from my mouth.
Galen didn’t push it even though both of us knew I was lying. “Let’s get to planning then,” Galen said. I looked up at him, confusion riddling my face. He mirrored my look. “It’s what you want, right? Retribution? Don’t tell me you want to stop now.”
“You’re going to help me?”
“Isn’t it what we do?” Galen asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Yeah, but you’re all soft now.”
Galen grunted in amusement. His mouth opened to say something, but it was interrupted by a loud hiss from the other room.
Galen and I got to the door at the same time. His reaction bolstered because the hiss was unmistakably Kayleigh’s. But for me, it was the reason why she hissed, and that fact that I could smell Delilah’s fear from here.
“She’s not a Feeder,” Kayleigh growled, standing up to Luca who stared down at her.
I growled in frustration as Galen took what I’d been feeling right out of my head and put it into words. He hadn’t cared he’d killed my mother all those years ago, and he didn’t care about Delilah now. What kind of monster just didn’t care about anything?
“And they say we’re the heartless ones,” Galen mused, rolling his eyes. He tilted his head. “So, you went to Philly hoping you’d get some sort of satisfaction out of seeing Greenie dead, but instead, all it has done is make you angrier.”
“He hasn’t come for her,” I seethed.
Galen’s eyebrows furrowed, but as he stared, he seemed to understand something I didn’t. His eyes lit. “Oh.” He stood from his perch on the desk and moved forward. “It’s more than that then. You care for her.”
I closed my eyes. My very being denied it, but at the same time, there was a little inkling inside me that said it was true. How could that be though? Her grandfather killed my mother. She should be tainted by association. “No,” I said. “I just feel bad for her, and I’m pissed I haven’t been able to make him pay. How can I get my rightful revenge on someone who doesn’t care about anyone but himself?”
When I opened my eyes, Galen had his head cocked even further. “She makes you think of you. The little boy who had nowhere to go and nothing to live for. I see why you brought her here now.”
I hadn’t. I hadn’t just then until Galen put it into words.
Galen had fixed me. Surely, he could fix Delilah too. No one in this world wanted her. She was the little boy who cried over his mom’s dead body knowing she would never wake up again, but also not knowing what to do with a dead body. The little boy who scraped for food, taking anything he could get. He had a miserable existence before, but he knew what was coming would be far worse. “I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.
Galen looked toward the door. “She knows her grandfather won’t come for her?”
My hands clenched to fists. “She thought he would at first. But I sent him audio, video of me torturing her, and nothing has spurred him to respond. I think she understands now.”
Galen’s jaw clenched, and I knew it wasn’t because of what I admitted I’d done to her, it was because of Greenie’s complete lack of interest in her life. “Everyone should have one person in this world who cares whether they exist or not,” Galen said, his anger finally sparking. “Someone who would notice if they were gone and mourn them.”
I nodded. I’d been my mother’s. After that, Galen had always been that one person for me, and I for him. Maybe that was why I hated Kayleigh so much when she first got here. When I could see Galen slipping through the cracks and into her arms more than relying on me. It used to be just us for one another, but not anymore. I was the odd one out in a table made for two.
“What do you want to do?” Galen asked.
“He needs to pay,” I said, my temper flaring. “Not just for my mother, but for Delilah too, his own blood.”
“How do you want to do it?”
“I’d like to see him suffer, Galen. He has no idea what he did to me, and what he’s going to do to Delilah once she really realizes he never had any intention of coming for her. I went to his house after I sent the torture video. Things were carrying on like normal. Delilah’s room had been cleaned and made up like new. But worse yet?” This was the part I hadn’t told Delilah yet. This was the part that really sank home how much he didn’t care. “All aspects of her were gone from the room. No pictures, no mementos. Hell, her scent wasn’t even there anymore. It was as if he completely washed her away from his house.”
“Does Delilah know?”
“No.”
“Why does she think she’s here then?”
I blew out a breath. “I don’t know what she thinks. I just told her I needed to see you and that she was coming with me.”
Galen came up to me and put his hands on my forearms. My tight body relaxed instantly. “She’ll be safe here.”
“I don’t care,” I said, forcing the words from my mouth.
Galen didn’t push it even though both of us knew I was lying. “Let’s get to planning then,” Galen said. I looked up at him, confusion riddling my face. He mirrored my look. “It’s what you want, right? Retribution? Don’t tell me you want to stop now.”
“You’re going to help me?”
“Isn’t it what we do?” Galen asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Yeah, but you’re all soft now.”
Galen grunted in amusement. His mouth opened to say something, but it was interrupted by a loud hiss from the other room.
Galen and I got to the door at the same time. His reaction bolstered because the hiss was unmistakably Kayleigh’s. But for me, it was the reason why she hissed, and that fact that I could smell Delilah’s fear from here.
“She’s not a Feeder,” Kayleigh growled, standing up to Luca who stared down at her.