Page 6 of Temptation
“Joa—” The door of the room slammed against the door. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“You’re not taking him away from me!” she shrieked. “He is mine, Judah. My boy. He will never be hers.”
“Stop this,” he started again, but she wasn’t letting go. “Skylar is downstairs, and—”
Suddenly she let me go, turning all the way to him. “You already gave her a name?”
I blinked fast, moving away from her. My father stood at the bottom of the bed, tall and imposing, his blond hair illuminated by the lamp on the nightstand.
“We talked about this,” he murmured, coming closer and closer, until he was standing on the other side of the bed. “He needs her.”
“He doesn’t,” my mother cried out. “He has me. I am everything he will ever need.”
“Maybe now, but what about later? You know how this works.”
“No, no, nooooo,” she cried. “I hate this. I hate it so fucking much!”
He sat down and pulled her closer, looking at me over her shoulder. “Shhhh,” he murmured in her hair, and looked toward the door, indicating for me to leave. “You couldn’t give him what he needs, Jo. You know this.”
“I hate her.”
I didn’t want to listen to this. I didn’t want to see her like this. I didn’t want to see her at all, but with my father home, I knew I could breathe easier.
Go, he mouthed at me.
Still terrified, still aware of her, I tiptoed out of the room, my mother’s muffled sobs following me all the way to the staircase.
I had no idea what happened, but something told me that things would become worse from now on. My mother’s reaction was more severe than before. She was either catatonic or demanding, punishing, but never like this.
I should run away now.
I could go downstairs, and run, run, run, run, until this forsaken house was nothing but a memory.
My feet pounded on the staircase as I ran downstairs, but as soon as I reached the last step, the strength I possessed earlier disappeared, replaced with something different.
Something in my chest.
Something I couldn’t quite name.
The doors were still open, the porch light illuminating the figure standing with her back turned to me. Long, blond hair reached the end of her small jacket. Her tiny body looked like it didn’t belong here.
I wanted to say something, anything, but when she turned around, my tongue froze in my mouth, and I was unable to utter a single word.
Cerulean blue eyes stared at me, framed by dark eyelashes. Her porcelain skin made her look like one of those dolls I kept seeing in stores. My heart leaped in my chest, but it wasn’t fear I felt. It was excitement, happiness. This little girl, who was obviously younger than me, stared at me in wonder and I felt nothing more than happiness.
“Ah,” came from behind, and I turned around to see my father standing behind me. “I see you’ve met Skylar.”
“Skylar?” I asked, tasting her name, seeing if it fit. And it did. I looked back at her, and the smile she had, with two front teeth missing, knocked the breath out of me.
“Yes, Son.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and ushered me forward, closer to her. “She is your new sister.”
“My sister?” But how could she be?
“Yes, your sister.” He stepped aside and came closer to her. Skylar’s eyes shuddered at his nearness, but she quickly replaced it with a look of wonder when she looked back at me. “She’s yours to take care of. Come here.”
I was afraid I would fall, but my legs carried me closer to her. As I stood in front of her, she looked up, her blue eyes full of questions.
“Are you my brother?” she asked, her tiny voice wrapping itself around my heart. It felt warm, like a sudden breath of life. “I’m Skylar.” She smiled. “And this is our daddy now.” She looked at my father. I couldn’t tell her that he wasn’t really her father, and I didn’t want to know where my father found her.
