Damien (Slater Brothers #5)(30)

“Tell me what is goin’ on!” I demanded. “Right now.”

Ma sniffled. “We need to tell you somethin’, but please, don’t be scared.”

I looked from my ma to my da and back again.

Is this about his affair? Does she know? Are they about to tell me about it?

“Before we tell you anythin’,” Ma said with as stern as an expression as she could muster, “I want you to sit and listen until we’re finished talkin’. I don’t want you to worry.”

I was beyond worried.

“Tell me,” I almost choked out. “Please.”

Ma’s lower lip wobbled, and after a pregnant pause, she said, “I’m sick.”

My heart stopped.

“Sick?”

She nodded and sniffled, fresh tears splashing onto her cheeks.

“How sick?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “How sick are you, Ma?”

“I haven’t been feelin’ very well these past few weeks, so I went to my GP about it, and he advised me to go to the hospital to have some tests done after he found somethin’ durin’ an examination.”

What’d he find?

I placed my hand over my mouth and stared at my ma with what I knew was terror in my eyes. My stomach twisted in knots, and I began to tremble.

“You’re okay, though, right?” I asked, my voice cracking. “It’s nothin’ serious?”

She looked at my da, and her tears continued to fall as he pulled her tightly against him and wrapped his arms around her.

“Da!” I almost growled his name. “Tell me.”

He locked his eyes on me, and I saw sorrow dwelling within them.

“Cancer,” he rasped. “Ma has breast cancer.”

The air was knocked from my lungs the second he spoke the words. Loud noise filled my ears, a pain took root in my chest, and a disgusting sensation of nausea hit me like a tonne of bricks.

“No,” I whimpered. “No, she doesn’t.”

My ma broke away from my da and came over to me when I broke down. We wrapped our arms around each other and just held on for dear life as we cried. My ma was swaying me, trying to calm me down, when I should have been the one comforting her and assuring her that everything would be okay. The crying made her feel uneasy, so she excused herself to the bathroom to gather her bearings and clean herself up.

I had to force myself not to be sick.

“When did you both find out?”

“Last Tuesday,” Da answered.

My posture went rigid. My ma had cancer, and he knew about it, and he still ... he still was cheating on her.

“It’s goin’ to be okay, love—”

“Don’t touch me!” I slapped my da’s hand away when he reached for my hand.

His mouth dropped open in shock as he looked at his hand like it was a second head.

“Love.” He frowned. “What’s the matter?”

“Ye’know fuckin’ well, you piece of shite.”

He choked on air. “Alannah!”

“I know,” I said, my jaw setting.

“Ye’know what?” he demanded, lowering his voice and glancing at the doorway. “What are you talkin’ about, Alannah?”

I wanted to thump him for looking so bemused; he had no right to pretend he was in the dark.

“I know about that tramp you’re seein’ behind Ma’s back!”

I watched as the blood drained from my da’s face, and an expression close to terror took hold.

“Yeah,” I sneered. “You’d better be afraid.”

“Don’t tell ’er,” he pleaded, his eyes darting from me to the doorway and back again. “Not now.”

“You’re sick,” I told him. “You’re lower than low.”

“I know.” He nodded, swallowing. “I know.”

“Why?” I demanded, a lump forming in my throat. “Why would you ever want someone other than Ma? That woman worships the ground you walk on.”

“I know she does,” he clipped. “I know, okay? It was a moment of weakness.”

I sat back, and laughed humourlessly.

“Alannah,” he pleaded, his hands now shaking. “Please, don’t tell your mother.”

“I could kill you,” I said, my fingers flexing as I balled my hands into fists. “I could kill you right ’ere and now, and I wouldn’t feel a single shred of remorse.”

My da stared at me, his eyes unblinking.

“Bear—”

“Don’t you dare call me that!”

He flinched at the coldness in my tone.

“Please, baby,” he croaked. “Please, I’m so sorry.”

“I hate you for this,” I continued. “I hate you.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his skin paled, and I could have sworn I saw his heart break right in from of me. He had to clasp his hands together to stop them from shaking.

“I’m so sorry.”

I lifted my chin. “You’ll never be sorry enough.”

“I ended it,” he quietly exclaimed. “The day I went to the hospital with your ma, and we found out she was sick, I ended it. It’s taken possibly losin’ your ma to make me see she is the only woman I have ever loved and will ever love. She is me first priority, and next to you, she is me entire world. She is, Alannah. I swear to you. I love ‘er more than life.”