I got ready to walk away, but her arm reached out and gripped mine before I could manage to get away. "It was your father, wasn't it?" She squeezed my arm and a tear fell down her face. "Answer me," she screamed. "I need to know. Where is he?"
"It was-"
My words cut off as the door swung open and Jace rushed into the room with the nurse following close behind. Their presence seemed to shake us both up, causing our bodies to shake uncontrollably as we both looked up and studied the sight in front of us.
The nurse stood in the corner of the room as Jace nervously ran his hands through his hair. I don't like this.
Jace eyed my mother’s hand with concern, as she squeezed it and took a step closer to us. "Is everything okay, Avery?" he asked cautiously.
"No," my mother muttered. "Where did this come from?" She pointed at my face and took a deep breath. "I know you guys saw him. Did he come for her?"
Jace bit his lip and turned to look at the nurse. "It's best that you step in now." He walked over to the wall and placed his head into his arm. He looked scared.
The nurse nervously played with her shirt collar as she eyed the gray linoleum flooring. "Ma'am your husband," she paused to swallow. "He died a few hours ago. I'm sorry," she breathed. "I'll be back to discuss the details a bit later. Get some rest." The nurse looked at me with a look of relief and then left the room. I knew that she felt he deserved death after what he had done to my mother, but what would my mother feel?
The look on my mother's face was of pure shock. All of the color drained out of her face and she looked as if she couldn't breathe. "What," she whispered. "This can't be happening." She looked around the room in silence before she set her eyes on me. The fire in her eyes made my heart stop. I knew what was coming next. "What happened to him? You better answer me," she growled.
Jace stepped away from the wall and walked over to stand next to me. He protectively placed his arm in front of me and faced my mother. "It wasn't her fault." He looked down at me and cupped my face as I broke down in tears. "It wasn't your fault. Do you hear me?" He shook my face and then pressed me into his chest.
"I'm sorry," I cried. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to stay away from him. He came after me. I didn't want him dead."
My mother sat up in the bed and squeezed the white sheet until the color drained from her knuckles. "What did you do, Avery?" she spat. "Please just tell me. I can't live without him." she sobbed into her hand. "Please."
I looked up at Jace not knowing what to do. I couldn't tell her the truth or she'd hate Jace and blame everything on him. Maybe even press charges and get him arrested. I couldn't let that happen. As much as it hurt, Jace was only protecting me.
I got ready to speak, but Jace silenced me by placing his finger to my mouth.
"It was me. I did it." He paused to look me in the eye. "I don't regret protecting you and I would do it all again if it means your safety. You deserve to be safe. I want to do that." He ran his thumb over my cheek and turned back to face my mother. He somehow managed to keep his calm. I wasn't for sure, but I was guessing it was for my sake.
"I didn't mean for it to go as far as it did, but when I walked in on them he was choking her. She couldn’t breathe and I couldn't let him hurt her anymore. It was an accident."
My mother's mouth dropped open and she sat there looking surprised. She looked between the both of us and then pointed for the door, her hand shaking. "I need you to leave. The both of you." She threw her hands to her face and shook it back and forth. "Now!" She screamed.
My heart ached to reach out and hold her. I wanted to feel like I did a few minutes before. When she actually loved me and was happy to see me. Now it was gone. I was losing my mother again. "I'm sorry. Please-"
"Just go," she screamed as she wiped at her face. "Please. I need to be alone."
Jace gripped my waist as my knees gave out on me. He pulled me close to him and walked me toward the door. "We need to give her some space. We'll be back." He grabbed my face and looked me in the eye. "Everything will be okay. I'm here for you."
I looked back at my mother right before we reached the door. Her face was pressed into the pillow that was now covered in her tears and drops of blood from the scabs that covered the side of her neck. She looked pathetic and weak once again.
My father always managed to do that to her. He still somehow managed to do that even in his death. To the both of us. He really was a monster.
Now what?
Chapter 15
An hour later, Jace and I were on the road once again and heading back to Jace's place. My mother refused to see us or even the nurse again and I knew that nothing would change her mind.
Thoughts of my father now poisoned my mother’s every thoughts and that was a powerful enough thing to make her blind to the situation. It would be no use to try to gain her forgiveness. Not now. Only time would be able to heal the damage done. Even then, there was only a slight chance for forgiveness.
My swollen eyes wandered out the passenger side window as the nurse's words replayed repeatedly in my head. They were words that I never expected and that I would never be able to forget.
"Avery, your father has been battling cancer for over thirteen years now. His body has been shutting down slowly and all of the drinking has finally taken him down. He was admitted to the hospital earlier today after being attacked in an alleyway. It was then that they noticed the cancer had taken its toll. There was nothing that anyone could do to save him. He did this to himself. He was an addict."
"Avery." Jace's deep voice called out.
I slowly reached up, hands shaking as I wiped the tears from off my puffy cheeks. Then I turned to face him, keeping my eyes glued to my hands that were now moist from the tears that wouldn't seem to stop falling.
"Are you okay?" he questioned. His emerald eyes looked dark as they scanned mine and then set back on the road. "Would you like me to stop somewhere? We can take a rest and get something to eat."
My stomach growled at just the thought of food, but I knew that keeping any food down wouldn't be an option at the moment. "No," I whispered. "I'm not hungry. I just want some rest."