The Lies We Tell (The Four #1) - Becca Steele Page 0,49
arm around Winter. My eyes flicked to his, and he smirked at me. The fucker was stoned; his eyes were half-closed, and from experience I knew he’d be passed out soon enough.
“West. Help me out, will ya.” I nodded over to Cassius.
“I’m fine,” Cassius protested.
“Yeah, I see that. Just…get back in the house, mate.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh, his head lolling back.
“Cass.”
“Fine.” He clambered out of the tub, his movements sluggish, picking up one of the towels draped over the decking railing and pulling it over his shoulders. He disappeared inside and I stood, my mind torn between checking on Cass and the girl that was right in front of me.
My brain caught up, finally.
What the hell did I do? Fuck Snowflake. As in, sticking my dick in her.
Self-loathing filled me as I looked at her. Yeah, maybe I’d been wrong about her working with her mother. Maybe. Probably. But it still didn’t change the fact that she looked just like her, with that long dark hair, those huge eyes, and the way she tilted her head…yeah, that sounded minor, but it was identical to her mother. My stomach lurched. How could I have been so fucking weak? I was no worse than my father, and because of him, because of her…the only woman that I’d ever loved, the only woman I’d ever cared about, was dead.
The unwanted, hated memory rolled through me, and I pressed my palms to my temples and closed my eyes, trying to block it out, but it was no use.
“Mum?” I banged on the bathroom door. No answer. I banged harder. “Mum!”
No answer.
Dread coiled in my stomach, and I pounded at the door with all my might. She hadn’t been the same since she’d found out about dad’s affair with that fucking snake. She’d become withdrawn, distant, shutting herself away from us.
“Mum!”
No answer.
Frantic, I hit the door over and over, until my knuckles were throbbing.
No answer.
Shit! What should I do? The only thing I could think of was something stupid I’d seen in movies, but at this point I was ready to try anything. I ran back along our hallway and took a running leap straight into the door, kicking out my foot with all my strength. I guess although the door was made of thick, solid wood, the lock was weak, because it burst open, sending me hurtling into the room.
I fell to my knees.
No.
No.
No.
She was lying on the floor, on her side, one arm outstretched and her bottle of pills spilling out on the floor in front of her. She looked like she was asleep, but her skin had lost all colour, looking like a waxwork version of the living, breathing woman that was the most important person in my life.
I stumbled across the floor, barely aware of what I was doing. I reached out for her hand and clasped it in mine, knowing it was too late as soon as I touched her.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
An inhuman scream burst from my lungs, and stabbing pain raced through my body, taking my breath away. I curled into a ball, still clasping her hand, my eyes squeezed shut, my brain going offline.
I wasn’t aware of what happened after that.
“Caiden!”
I opened my eyes to find my brother crouched in front of me, dripping wet, worry clear in his eyes. I realised I was sitting on the decking, my head in my hands, my whole fucking body shaking.
Fuck.
“I’m fine. I guess I drank more than I thought. Guess that’s my cue to go to bed.” I forced a laugh.
Weston eyed me cautiously. “Cade…” His voice trailed off as I shot him a warning look. He could say or do whatever the fuck he wanted, but I was never telling him what had happened to our mother. I wanted his memories of her to be pure, untainted.
As far as he was aware, she’d died of a sudden brain haemorrhage, and that was how it was going to stay. It was pretty much the only area where me and my dad were in complete agreement. My dad felt a sense of guilt—not enough to get rid of the bitch, but he at least cared enough about Weston to try and stop him feeling the fucking crushing failure and regret I felt.
Why hadn’t I done something sooner?
She’d still be alive.
I launched to my feet, turning towards the house, needing to be inside, and alone.
“Caiden?”
A pair of slim arms encircled my waist, and I saw red.