Vengeance (Burning Beliefs #2)

Chapter Seventeen *edited*

GRACIE'S POV

I stir the spoon lightly in my tea. The crystal particles of sugar mix with the herbal green tint of the water. The aroma is calming, silent, warm, and cozy. Exactly what I need to be right now.

The soft purple-blue of twilight fades into the endless rows of corn outside the giant window. The last few droplets of warmth left by the sun are shrinking back towards it's source.

It's really beautiful, actually. It looks like the fields are made of gold, glowing brightly and shining like Disney-esque pictures of sunsets. I wish I paid more attention to things like this. Everything in the world seems to disappear when you think about how small you really are, how little you actually matter. But then, your mind is drawn back to the alternate dimension of emotions and family. They seem to exist on another level. They become priority, and it becomes the most important thing to protect and love the people who protect and love you. I don't understand when this realization actually set inside me, but that's not important. What is important is that it set.

"Liking the tea?" Zephira's voice echoes from behind me.

I turn and smile tiredly. "Yeah. It's nice."

"It appears to fix everything," she smiles back.

She walks up to the windows, taking stance beside me. Her arms are crossed. Her eyes are sparkling with the final rays of sunlight. The air inside the warehouse is shifting colder, making my skin prickle, resulting in an almost undetectable shiver.

"Are you okay?" she pipes up immediately. "Do you need a blanket?"

"You sound like my dad," I give her a look. It gives me the chance to see the expression in her glossy, rounded eyes.

I turn back towards the Nebraska sunset, sighing softly.

"Sam told you, didn't he?"

She doesn't have to respond.

"I need to ask you something," she speaks gently.

"Shoot."

"Who do you think the father is?"

I roll my eyes. "I wouldn't be so worried about it if I did know. And even if I did, I still wouldn't be happy. Lucas and Zach aren't exactly the optimum choices."

"Yeah, but you must have some kind of intuition."

"It's not like I've had a vision about it or anything," I add softly, "I haven't had a vision in years."

"Gracie, be honest with me, who do you think it is?"

I lower my eyebrows. Something about this makes me feel uneasy, like she's interrogating me.

"Why does it matter so much to you?"

"I'm just wondering!"

"If you were 'just wondering', you wouldn't care this much."

"It's... It's just important, Gracie," she presses her lips together.

A shockwave of annoyance rolls through me. "Don't talk to me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm seven. I'm old enough to understand that this is a bad decision, and I get it, it really is important, but that doesn't give you the right to stand here like a detective."

She bites her tongue. There's that look of uncertainty behind her eyes, screaming that she desperately wants to say something to me, but she doesn't. Her eyes quickly flicker down to my stomach and back up.