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“When did they die?” Cy asked this time, but what she said next was the real kicker. “My father died giving birth to me, and my mother—” she cut herself off and cleared her throat. “I lost her when I was ten. That’s when Gerard took me in.”

I cocked my head, surprised that Gerard had a nice bone in his body.

“Gerard isn’t always a fuckhead. He’s very blind to a lot of things, especially when it comes to the people he cares about,” Odie explained, but it didn’t improve my view of him. Clearly, his ways were trash considering his two daughters and adoptive daughter were all the way out here avoiding him.

I took Cy’s kind gesture as it was though and gave them what they asked for.

Six. I was six when they died in a car accident. Cliché, isn’t it?

They ignored my joke, and that made me fidget. I needed the humor to avoid the pain that was trying to bubble up inside me. I had shed enough tears for them and the life we could have had.

“Who took care of you after that?” Although I was still refusing to make eye contact with her, I could see Odie’s hazel eyes boring into me through my peripherals.

My grandmother. I decided to bite the bullet and get all the juicy details out there that they would inevitably sniff out. Until she died when I was fourteen. Then I bounced from family member to family member, then went off on my own at seventeen. I didn’t want my bad luck rubbing off on them.

“You know about that?” My eyes shot to hers.

Know about what?

“So you don’t know. I’ll explain, but let’s get through what happened last night first. Was the destroyed image the reason you left?” Odie was sitting on the edge of her seat, following every word I signed.

That and the ungodly amount of alcohol in my system, plus being kidnapped and trapped here. It was a recipe for disaster.

Everyone chuckled except for Ellie who remained silent and staring at the coffee table. She was still so young, but like she had said before, she was raised to take on a high role at a young age, and she would soon need to be somewhat emotionless to events like this if she was going to survive. At least, that’s how it looked from my side.

“None of us really thought that through, did we?” Cy sighed, then slumped down into the couch.

“No, we didn’t, and we were lax, thinking a little Human like you could never evade us.” I didn’t think that was the full truth, but I didn’t have anything else to explain it. “Please don’t do that again, Mine.” There was a small crack in her voice, but from the nonexistent reactions the other two gave, I thought it had been a trick of my mind.

Why are you both being so nice? Odie is one thing, but Cy has been, dare I say it, playful! You’re freaking me out. What happened to the assholes I met?

They both jerked back as if they had been slapped, and Ellie clapped a hand over her mouth, and I was happy to see her do something other than be a statue.

“I don’t really—”

Know what I mean? I interrupted Odie. Bullshit. Explain.

Cy and Odie shared a look, then Cy shrugged and Odie sighed as if they had come to a silent agreement.

“We don’t know. We’re just nicer to you than other people.”

You were perfectly fucking nice to Vaila, so that’s a lie.

Odie’s mouth dropped open, and Cy bit her knuckle to keep from laughing.

“That’s not—”

“Oh, come on. Even I know you slept with her,” Ellie spat out as she stared down her sister.

“Ellie!” Odie gasped.

“What? I’m right.” Ellie sat back and crossed her arms.

It was obvious.

“Fine, yes, but it was nothing more than that. She’s always been great to our family as well, so why wouldn’t I be nice to her?” Odie looked at each of us, begging for someone to agree with her. I knew we all did. It made sense, but that didn’t mean I would tell her that.

“Tell yourself whatever you want, Odie.” Cy clapped her on the back.