♤DEALS♤

Chapter 46 - Dealing with the truth

Peyton Griffin's POV

"Peyton's boyfriend over here is your long-lost sibling."

There goes my last chance to try and protect Caleb.

I could already picture the look he was giving me, but I refused to see it. I have been given the look of disappointment before, and now is not the time to ponder about it.

I heard Joey chuckle darkly, "You are my son but a mistake all the same. You're the reason why Danny's mother wants nothing to do with me. You weren't supposed to be alive, I made sure of it when I sent that hit man to you and your adoptive parents, but like an itch you can't reach, you can't go away, now can you?"

The least he could do was be remorseful, but when people like Joey remove the blinds that they cast upon your eyes, it's hard to even think of them being that.

I should have known that he wouldn't allow me to hold this secret over his head. He must have figured out that I never told his illegitimate child his identity.

Although I'm pretty sure I was not interested in destroying Caleb's self-esteem further. I helped him find himself, and I planned on lying to his face to endure he didn't lose himself, but I guess that plan is out the window.

"Did you know about this?"

Here comes the dreaded question that I would make any deal to not answer, but luck really had a thing for me.

I decided to look at him, and an expression filled with slight disgust greeted me. I felt tears coming to the surface of my eyes.

"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to upset the perfect balance..."

But he cut me off with annoyance, but I knew that as I looked at him, he was hurt by what I kept from him.

"For how long were you going to pretend that I didn't want to know what happened to them?! For how long were you going to watch me cry about the fact of not knowing them?!"

For as long as it was needed for you to completely move on from your past.

A wince left me as he yelled, but there was nothing I could do about it now. I was the only person to blame for his anger.

"As fun as this is, I would like to get on with my life without further ado," Joey said, and I turned my attention back to him.

His gun was cocked towards my father, and I felt my gaze harden.

I have no idea what I or anyone in this room did that made him resort to drastic measures.

If it was up to me and my best friend was not held in his grasp, I would have gladly taken him on, but there was too much at stake at the moment.

Out of the blue, he threw Charlie at me, and I caught her, but the girl had the same weight as a small country, so we both fell to the ground.

Before I had time to regain myself, I heard the gunshots. My father let out a sharp breath and moved to fall out of the chair that he was in.

I was quick to untangle myself from Charlie and soften his fall. I cradled his head on my lap. I used one of my hands to press against the hole on his stomach while the other slapped him silly. Crimson coated my dress and the floor, but that was the least of my problems.

The voices in the background faded. The child in me clawed her way out and tried to make an appearance. My windpipe closed, and my vision became hazy. Blood rushed everywhere in my body except my heart which kept beating faster than a running Bunny.

"Peyton?" He called in a raspy voice, and I shushed him.

Even though I knew I wasn't particularly liked by him, I didn't want my last memory to be tainted by him insulting all the mistakes I made, but what left his lips stunned me to the extent that tears flowed down my face.