Never Tied Down (The Never Duet #2)(55)

“Babe, I’m sorry, but they weren’t from me. I’d tell you if they were.”

“Then who sent me flowers once a week for months? Riot, I’m a little creeped out.”

I could feel her trembling and I had no words to calm her. Honestly, I agreed it was a little weird, but I wasn’t about to let anything happen to Kalli. I didn’t care who sent her those flowers, they wouldn’t be getting anywhere near her without facing me first.





Chapter Sixteen


Devastation


Kalli

I’d tried not to panic in the car, tried to let the way Riot’s thumb was rubbing softly against the back of my hand soothe me. I forced myself to take in deep breaths and let them out slowly. I closed my eyes and listened to the way the tires crackled against the pavement of the highway. All of that only went so far to calm me down. I kept picturing bouquets of flowers sitting on my doorstep with cryptic messages, someone lurking in the darkness between houses, watching my house, waiting for me to come home and receive them.

The more I thought about it, however, the more I convinced myself that whoever was sending the flowers hadn’t actually been watching me or my house. Otherwise they would have known I wasn’t there and that my neighbor was the one taking the flowers. If the intention was to make me uncomfortable, they hadn’t succeeded—until now.

We’d had such a wonderful holiday getaway, aside from my panic attack. But even that brought on a sort of cathartic release in a way. I’d been forced to let my closest friends see what I was dealing with, and in some strange way, it made dealing with it easier. Riot and I were closer than ever, and a three-day drive down the west coast had been absolutely perfect until I brought up flowers. Stupid flowers.

Finally, Riot parked at my apartment, shut the car off, and turned toward me. “You’ve got the cards from the flowers in there, right?” I nodded. “Okay, I’d like to read them first. I don’t want you panicking about it, no matter who they’re from.”

I thought his concern was sweet, and I loved him even more for wanting to spare me from any more grief, but not looking at the cards would drive me crazy.

“How about we look at them together? I don’t think I’ll be able to sit by and let you take care of it.”

“Okay, but if you start to get upset I’m taking them away.”

“All right.” Relationships were about compromise, right? I knew he was only trying to protect me. I couldn’t fault him for that.

He held my hand all the way up to my door then insisted on opening it himself. He followed me back to the bedroom area of my studio apartment and I went straight to my jewelry box. Where else would a girl keep a stack of notes she thought were from the love of her life? My neighbor had placed a rubber band around the stack of cards, and when I pulled it off I noticed my hands were trembling. I sat down on the edge of my bed, Riot taking a seat so close our thighs were touching, and I pulled the top card off the stack.

I flipped it over and ripped open the seal, sliding the tiny card out, holding my breath all the while.



Kalli,

I wish there was some other way to contact you, but all I can find is your address. I hope you’re doing well, although I suspect you aren’t. I know I have no right to hear from you, but please consider reaching out. I’d love nothing more than to talk to you.

Sincerely,

Kevin



“Who the hell is Kevin?” Riot asked, his voice instantly cold and harsh. It matched what I was feeling on the inside. However, in addition to the cold harshness, I was also feeling immediate anger, raging anger at that. I was enraged. Absolutely aflame with anger. This flame, however, was empty, cold, and dangerous. My fingers tightened around the paper of the card and it started crumpling in my hand. My heart was thundering in my chest and all I could feel was its echo throughout my body. “Kalli? Who is this Kevin guy?”

“Kevin is my father.”




As it turned out, the cards were not stacked in any particular order. They also didn’t have dates on them. So, after I’d opened them all, read them all, cursed my father’s name, then read them again, I only had a general idea of the timeline. The early ones were easy to spot, the first one being the most obvious.

Kalli,

I just heard about your brother and I am so very sorry. I wish things were different and that I could be there for you at this trying time, but I know you’re in good hands. I think of you often and wish, every day, I’d made better choices all those years ago.

Sincerely,

Kevin



He knew I was in good hands. Huh. That was interesting. I was in good hands, but those were the hands of people who’d known me less than two years. They weren’t family. I’d just lost my last piece of my family. Well, except Nancy. But Nancy had been just as broken as I was.

I was so angry at him. Angrier than I had been in a long while. He had no right to weasel his way into my life, especially not when I was defenseless.

Despite my anger, I was silent as I read the cards. That seemed to be the hardest part for Riot. He sat on the bed, next to me, reading the cards over my shoulder, asking me time and again if I was all right, but I couldn’t answer him right away. I didn’t know if I was all right. I couldn’t fathom anything right then besides devastation.