Bitter Kisses (It's Just High School #3) - Thandiwe Mpofu Page 0,31
Mia by myself, but Dad’s fucking right. I need answers.
“You crazy bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?” Courtney is shouting when they’re pulled apart.
“Where is she?” Nicky screams like a ferocious beast.
“Where is who, you lunatic?”
“My daughter, you witch!”
“Well, I don’t have her!” Courtney shouts. “Have you tried checking with your dead sister? She seemed to pick up after you a lot.”
Nicky charges for Courtney again but Cole manages just barely to contain her. Knowing my mother has the answers I need, her vindictiveness gone too far now for me to behave in a civilized manner, I stride toward her, ignoring the claw marks on her face.
“Where is she?” I demand.
“Julian,” she says trembling. “You’re here! Oh, thank Heavens it worked.”
“Just don’t,” I snap. “I know you’re working with Nathan which is why I know you made some kind of deal and now, you’ve gone and hurt her this cruelly. Where. Is. She?”
“Well, cat’s out of the bag then,” she mutters, a guilty look crossing her face.
“I’m not going to ask you again,” I growl.
“Wait, she’s really missing?” Courtney says in a low whisper.
“You think this is some kind of joke? Not that anyone here is opposed to watching as you get the beat down you deserve,” Liam says angrily.
“Where is Mia?”
“I don’t know where she is, Julian. Why would I have her taken when she’s the one who helped me save you?”
“Helped you?” Cole says for the first time, something about his words making it clear that the initiative to help me get the charges dropped was all Mia and not this child abuser fuck. “As far as I know, you did nothing to gather that evidence.”
“Well, yes, we helped each other. I’m the one who got the information and evidence of your innocence to the prosecutor and the judge before the trial could start. With Cole and Liam of course,” Courtney says, tugging her suit jacket down. “Why would I then hurt that girl?”
“When last did you see her?” Dad asks.
“Ah, should’ve known you’d be here sniffing around your old bitch.”
“The only old one here is you, scar face,” Nicky shouts.
“When last did you see Mia, Courtney?” Dad repeats, this time, his voice hard and low.
“This morning. Right before she left for school.”
“Where exactly was this?”
“Right here of course. We talked on the front steps really.”
“She told me to meet her at the location, how did you know about it?” Cole demands.
“Well,” Courtney starts, clearing her throat. “I knew she was up to something and I may have kind of forced her to tell me.”
“And if she didn’t?” Nicky demands. “If your threats didn’t work on her and she refuses to tell you, what were you going to do?”
“Oh, but she didn’t refuse,” Courtney says, a fake smile on her face even as uncertainty fills her shifty eyes. “I just let her know that she was being watched and she made the right deductions from that, clever girl. She knew if she went to the courthouse herself or met with the prosecutor, Nathan would know. If she met with Cole directly, she’d also be in trouble.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t meet with Cole, you ambushed her and now she’s missing!” Liam seethes. “Where is she?”
“Liam—”
“You still didn’t answer the question, mother,” I say, a cold smile on my face, destruction and chaos dripping in my veins as my fists clench tighter. “Did you give her up to Nathan? We all know you are working with that leech with your deal and shit.”
“What… what deal?” She stutters and I almost laugh.
“I’m not going to ask you twice.”
“Answer him,” Dad demands, coming to stand to my right. “Or this will go much worse for you.
“Okay, okay, fine,” Courtney says, taking a step back. “There might be a deal or two.”
“Just as we fucking thought. Bravo, Courtney. Here’s a fucking gold star for your flawless skill with the obvious!” Liam mutters sarcastically then immediately falls serious. “What you’re going to do is tell us everything that happened the day she came to you. Obviously, you were waiting for her, weren’t you?”
This time, there’s no denying it as my mother’s shoulders slump in defeat.
“Yes, I knew you would reject her truth like the stubborn man you are, taking after your father, and you did exactly what I knew you would. Shut her outside with the wolves,” she says. “But it was her father that knew what her next move would be. And it led her right where she grew up.”