SWNOVELS Cruel King: Chapter 40
I never got a warning when I was crushed by you.
I couldn’t sleep.
I called Levi, but his phone was turned off. Gloomy thoughts ran rampant in my head all night, spiralling out of control and hitting me in the chest.
What if his uncle hurt him?
What if he needs help?
I’m probably being a tad more dramatic than usual, but their postures screamed a fight yesterday, not to mention that Jonathan King seemed scary. No wonder he’s Aiden’s father and Levi’s uncle. It runs in the family.
Come morning, I rush down the stairs with my backpack over my shoulder. Sarah calls after me to eat something, but I don’t stop.
I’m running down our driveway when the sound of an engine penetrates my ears. I freeze and stare at the blinding lights from the car.
Everything stops.
My heart.
My breathing.
All of it.
I’m plucked from the present and thrown back in time.
Darkness surrounds me and rain beats down on me like a vengeful creature. Small whimpers of pain fill my senses like the gurgling of the dead.
I’m lying sideways, half of me outside the car’s window. The other half lies on the passenger seat.
A sob catches in my throat when I glance to my side. I know what I’ll find, but it does nothing to prepare me for the shock of what’s to come.
Blood covers Mum’s chest that’s stopped rising and falling. Her eyelids are closed as if she’s asleep.
Only she’s not.
“No… no… M-Mum… no… please,” I try to crawl to her, but something hard and cold scrapes my side.
The whimpering continues. I look down at myself expecting it to be my voice, but it isn’t.
A bloodied hand grabs my ankle.
I shriek and fall back on my arse.
I’m back in Dad’s house.
A Mercedes that I’ve never seen before stays unmoving. Nicole is in the driver’s seat, glaring down at me after she almost hit me.
I stand on unsteady feet, my breathing rushing out of my lungs in a frenzy.
My chest rises and falls so hard, it’s like I’m about to faint or have a heart attack.
“Watch where you’re going,” She snarls as the car passes me. “This isn’t over.”
I’m not focusing on what she’s saying. I hear her. I see her. But it’s like I’m caught in an experience out of my own skin.
“Are you okay, honey?” Sarah runs towards me and checks me out.
“I’m… fine.” I think. I turn back around to watch the Mercedes exiting the house. It seems super familiar, but where have I seen it?
“Did Nicole change cars?”
“Oh, that.” Sarah dusts off my uniform as I watch where the car disappeared to with stupor. “It’s an old one, always huddled in the garage. Miss Nicole wanted some changes made to her car so she’s using that car temporarily. It hasn’t been out from the garage in years, I’m surprised it still works.”
Dad must’ve came in it when he used to visit us. That’s why it seemed familiar.
“Is something wrong?” Sarah asks.
I shake my head even though something does feel wrong.
I’m on autopilot as I walk outside. I keep staring at my ankle as if that bloodied hand will imprison me again.
It’s not real. It can’t be.
But Dad said there was someone else. Am I remembering them now? Is that the reason behind the bloodied hand?
I need some psychological talk with Dr Edmonds.
Since I’m eighteen, I don’t need Dad’s permission.
A wave of sadness takes over me as I throw one last glance at the house and Dad’s car waiting outside.
Yesterday, he didn’t drive straight home. He took me to the doctor for the morning after pill and a contraceptive shot. I tried telling him that I used protection, but it’s like my tongue was tied.
I felt more ashamed in that moment than when he walked in on me wrapped all around Levi.
On the way home, he didn’t speak a word to me.
For the first night since Mum’s death, Dad didn’t come to wish me goodnight. I waited and waited and waited, but he never showed up.
I was too cowardly to go and apologise because if he shut me out this time, I don’t know if I’d be able to pick up my pieces again.
Outside, Dan’s car is parked right beside Nicole’s.
He has his forearm against the hood of her car with his entire body leaning against her window.
There’s an unusual tension in his shoulders as he talks in rapid-fire. It’s too far for me to hear what he’s saying. Nicole stares at him with wild eyes and parted lips.
She looks on the verge of… crying?
Her blurry gaze meets mine and she swivels the wheel and speeds ahead. Dan stumbles back, cursing.
For the love of Vikings. Is Nicole trying to kill someone with her car today?
I fasten my pace towards Dan. “What the hell was that all about?”
“Nicole being a bitch as usual.” He runs a frantic hand over his face. When he turns around, he appears less agitated. “How are you feeling? Better?”
I might have spent two hours on facetime with Dan last night. I had to vent about it all to my best friend.
“No.” My voice catches. “Dad isn’t speaking to me.”
“Come here.” Dan wraps me in a hug and I fight the tears as I wrap my arms around his back.
“Don’t you hate me for bailing on you and leaving with Levi?”
“Bugger, I bail on you for shags all the time. That was nothing.”
“Really?”
“Really. You’re finally not a virgin so I don’t have to shoo away all those who planned to sacrifice you for Satan.”
I laugh as I pull away. “You’re not going to judge me?”
“What’s there to judge?” Dan grins, showing his dimple. “Besides, in the best friends manual, it says in bold capital letters that best friends aren’t allowed to be judgy little bitches.”
“What manual?”
“I’m sure it exists somewhere.”
“I’m surprised you read any manual that isn’t a porn magazine.”
“I know, right? Aren’t you happy I’m your best friend?”
“I am. Life would’ve been boring without you, bug.”
“That’s the spirit.” He pauses, the smile and the dimple disappearing. “Full disclaimer, on the manual, it also says that best friends should offer reality checks about any bad shits the other friend is doing. Captain leans towards the bad.” He rolls his eyes. “But you already know that.”
“Do you think it’s weird that I keep gravitating towards Levi despite knowing what he’s capable of?”
“Nah.” He nudges my shoulder, waggling his eyebrows. “It just means that you have a wild side I wasn’t fully aware of.”
Maybe he’s right.
“Besides, it’s not like you can choose who you like. That shit is messed up.”
“Since when did you become a philosopher?” I hit his shoulder with mine. “Don’t tell me you actually like someone.”
“I like everyone who opens their legs for me. Or mouths. I’m flexible.”
“You’re such a pig.”
He chuckles. “Come on, let’s go to school.”
“Wait. Do you think Levi’s fine?”
“You don’t know?”
Something clenches in my chest. “I don’t know what?”
“The team had a party yesterday at the Meet Up.”
“They did?”
“Yeah.” Dan winces. “I went after you called it a night.”
“Was Levi there?”
“He’s the one who called it.”
“Oh.”
I was worried sick about him while he had a party.
He didn’t even bother to text or call me.
“And what did he do?” I ask.
“The usual. Party. Drink.”
“That’s… brilliant.”
“Astrid…”
“No. Dan. It’s fine.” I force a smile. “Let’s go to school.”
Hot, red fire courses through my veins as I stomp to the car and throw my weight in the passenger seat.
Levi went to a party as if nothing happened yesterday. He didn’t stop to ask how it went with Dad. He didn’t think we needed to talk or anything.
For Levi, this must be another mind game.
I’m the one who shouldn’t have focused on the arsehole in the first place.
Not when I have more important things that I should worry about.
“Actually, Dan.” I swallow. “I’m going to see a doctor.”