Her Destiny (Reverie #2)(12)

“Rev.” Evan runs a hand through his hair then rests his hands on his hips, frustration radiating from him in palpable waves. “It’s…I heard from the lawyer today.”

I frown. “What lawyer?”

“Mom and Dad’s. Ours. The family’s. Whatever.” He waves a hand, looking irritated still. Whatever he’s about to say can’t be good. “He said that Mom and Dad are going to resign permanently from The Flock of the Lambs. It’s done. They’re done.”

My jaw drops open but no words can form. It’s like my tongue is leaden, my throat clogged, my lungs full. I can only wheeze out a breath, I’m so overwhelmed at what he’s saying. What he’s not saying.

“They’re going to try and settle as quietly as they can. They don’t want this to turn into a giant lawsuit but they have no control over that so we’ll see.” He clamps his mouth shut, his lips practically disappearing and I close my mouth, clear my throat. I’m already so ravaged by everything that’s happened today, from learning I’m doing so badly in my classes to my confrontation with my friends, and now this?

I’m numb. I feel nothing. My reaction is…miniscule at best.

“So they’re guilty.”

Evan raises his brows. “You’re only just now concluding this?”

“I…sure. I knew that it didn’t look good, but they’re not even going to fight the accusations. They’re just giving in. It’s like they’re admitting they’re guilty.”

My brother says nothing. Just stares at me with this look on his face that says, well, duh.

“They did it. They stole the money.” My heart breaks for the innocent people they took from, that we took from. I benefited from all of my parents’ wrongdoing and so did Evan, especially Evan.

“Yeah. They did it.” He wipes at his mouth, as if he can get rid of the disgust he feels at saying those words. “I see what you’re going through and I get it. I feel like shit for what happened, Rev. I really do. The guilt is there and I know you’re feeling it too. But let me say this.”

At his pause I ask, “Say what?”

“We’re not responsible for what they did, especially you.” He points at me. “You’re just a kid.”

“So are you,” I say softly. “This has been going on for years. We don’t even know when it started.”

“Yeah well, I’m the one who went on a materialistic binge. I had to have everything.” So true. But when it all came up and we realized we were going to be left with nothing, he had to give up his fancy car since it was leased. Since then, he’s sold the Rolex watch our parents gave him for graduating high school and I sold some jewelry they gave me throughout the last few years, even the promise ring Dad gave me.

That promise was broken the second I let Nick touch me. I forgot everything I said to my father. Every vow, every word. But most of all…

We needed the money that ring got us. This has become my life.

Survival.

Chapter Eleven

Survival.

That’s me, trying to survive day by day. And I’m doing it damn it. The police have finally got off my back about Krista’s murder. There’s no evidence that incriminates me. They say my alibi is weak but they stopped questioning me about it.

Thank God. I didn’t want them to go to you Reverie, but they don’t even know I was with you that night. That’s the way I want to keep it. I want to protect you, not draw you into this mess.

There was no solid, usable evidence left behind on Krista’s body or at the crime scene. And if there was, they’re not telling me anything, but that doesn’t surprise me. They know she was supposed to meet me that night thanks to her dad dropping that info, trying his best to make me look like the number one suspect.

But from what I understand they’re looking extra close at him. His behavior since she died is odd. They’ve brought him in for questioning countless times. The local news loves to talk about the murder and make him look suspect. Even though he’s telling the truth about my meeting with Krista, I’m still irritated with him for ratting me out so quickly. He pointed the finger straight at me and hasn’t stopped since they found her body. Anytime they talk to him he tries to drop my name but they won’t let him. So he implies that her boyfriend is the one who did it.

I wasn’t her boyfriend. I hadn’t been for months. Yeah, we messed around but it meant nothing. She’s an old friend and I hate that she died such a terrible death. You understand how I feel I hope. I can’t be glad she’s gone, not with the fact that she was murdered.

It sucks to admit but I don’t miss her. I’m sure you don’t either. She made our lives miserable.

The cops think Krista’s dad is trying to divert them from him. He’s their only suspect (at least publicly) and I’m not sure why. I’m not sure if I want to know why either. Krista was his daughter. I know they had a f**ked up relationship but could it have been so bad that he’d end up killing her after a raging fight?

I hope not. But there’s no other answer. No other suspect besides me that I know of. And I know I didn’t do it.

I’m rambling. Michael would tell me I’m stuck in the past and that dude is right. I am stuck in the past. It’s hard to get my head out of it when I’m constantly confronted with my past transgressions day in and day out. The cops won’t let it go. They don’t care that David made up the entire story about me beating that guy to death. Once in jail, always an ex-con. It f**king sucks.