Epiphany

Chapter 33 Part 1~The hunt

“That’s impossible!” Ryder exclaimed.

“Wait, Andre, how is that possible? You weren’t even…” Jesse’s voice was getting closer to us. “Married?”

“I was.”

God…

The more they talked the more my brain throbbed. Pulses of unbearable pain were traveling around my head. It felt as if my brain was having a hard time absorbing what was just being said and so inflicting pain as it struggled.

“If that’s true why haven’t you told us? Or Boss for the matter?”

My entire head hurt.

“Gunther, I think you mean why haven’t he told her. Why the hell didn’t you tell her earlier if that’s so?”

But it was nothing compared to this awful, indescribable feeling that consumed me afterwards, demolishing my insides like an inferno annihilating a forest. My gut was burning.

“God… It’s because of this exact reason.” A pair of hands clutched my shoulders. “Alyssa?”

My body rocked with each of his gentle shakes.

“No.” My throat ached as I had a hard time getting the words out. My voice was weak as I spoke between pants.

“It doesn’t matter right now. We should take you some pl—”

“No.” I said it louder and more aggressively as I shoved his hands off of me and stepped away. “That’s not… that’s not true.”

My vision was still foggy from the amount of tears being released but I still managed to see the emotion that flashed in his amber eyes.

Hurt, I believe.

“Elias’ my father, not you!” I screamed, throat feeling like it was being ripped apart. “I don’t even know you!”

All of this was bullsh!t!

This was all a joke!

It was all an act!

They were all sick, anyways, wanting to break me just for the sake of it. Yes. Sick f*cking bastards.

I tried to slow down my breathing rate and hold myself upright. I couldn’t let them see me this vulnerable. They might take advantage of me. I needed to get my sh!t together.

“Alyssa, you dumb?” My plan to keep my sh!t together was disrupted when the clown spoke. He cocked his head at me and a horrified expression warped my face when he spoke.

No, I mentally ordered  Don’t speak.

“Can't you see the similarity in your features? A blind person would definitely see it. And he's blind! This only meant that Andre and your mother were a thing back then.” Ryder chuckled as he spoke, unable to shut the f*ck up. He was the only one who looked satisfied with how I was reacting to this.

Not only were clouds obscuring my vision, but so was fire as I clenched my teeth. I wanted to sew his lips together for God’s sake!

“Right, Andre?” Ryder shifted in his place to gaze at Andre and the rest followed his gesture, awaiting his confirmation.

I looked at Andre with wide eyes, hoping he wouldn’t say anything. I just wanted them to either shut up or prove him wrong, but not keep asking him stupid questions that drove me insane.

“It doesn’t matter now. It’s all in the past.”

I would’ve sighed in relief because he was trying to drop the subject, but this only spawned more questions and assumptions in their minds.

“You’re lying!” I hollered, arms trembling. I scrubbed my face harshly as the salty tears landed on my damp lips.

“Well, you do look like each other, I guess…” Jesse’s brow furrowed as he expressed his unwanted thoughts, which only pushed me closer to the edge of the cliff. If I fell, I’d go insane. “Does this mean… “

“This doesn’t mean anything!” I snapped.

“Mean what?” Gunther glanced at Jesse.

Couldn’t they hear me? This doesn’t mean sh!t! 

“Nothing.”

I jumped when I felt Andre’s hands on my shoulders again, squeezing them in a comforting gesture. I tried to shrug it away but he wouldn’t let go.

“Let me g—"

He crouched to meet my line of vision.

“Alyssa, breathe,” he intervened, his tone more demanding to make me listen, but tender to make me comply.

I pressed my eyes shut, shaking my head and babbled, “This… this isn’t true. You’re m-making… you’re making all this up. My mother would never ever put me in all this! And you don’t know her!”

“Okay then. I’m making all this up. Now, calm down, Alyssa.”

A sob escaped and I peeled my eyes open to find his glossy eyes gazing at me with sadness in them. It held more emotions than when he first visited.

“Yes, you’re… you’re making all this up.” I wiped my mouth with my sleeves again, hoping he'd repeat it with more sincerity.

“Gunther.” Andre’s eyes snapped to Gunther’s. “If you won’t let me keep her in a safe place, there’s this cabin nearby that he’s unaware of. We might be able to keep her there.”

Who was he? What were they talking about?

“I don’t think any of that would be necessary. He doesn’t even know about our current one.”

Now that I managed to remove most of my tears out of my vision and calm my racing heart down, I noticed that I missed something significant. I was too drowned in my emotions to even hear what they were talking about.

Someone was out here to get me and it wasn’t hard to guess who it was.

Andre huffed again in annoyance as he brushed his caramel hair back with one hand. “Then tell me how he called me and said he had an idea of where she might be?”

I wasn’t sure why I was surprised, even though I knew he’d paid me and Chase a visit before. But he didn’t see me. Let’s hope he dropped his suspicion about this place and meant another one.

“What?” Gunther paused for a moment. “No, I’m sure he’s mistaken. Boss refused to tell him where we were. And I’m definitely certain that no one from us told him so.”

“What about Elijah?”

“I doubt he told him.”

“Is it…” I sniffed again, tightening my grip on my sleeves. “Is it Edward?”

I should not have spoken up and asked a question I already knew the answer to. But there was a small voice in the back of my head that wanted to be certain. Perhaps someone else wanted me dead. I wouldn’t be shocked if there were more than one.

Gunther looked at me with narrowed eyes and I had to remind myself that Andre was here with me to stop the bull from charging.

“How'd you come up with that name?” He scrutinized me, his body facing me completely. I couldn’t help but look away from his gaze for a moment.

What did he mean? Didn’t Edward barge into the house one time?

“Eh… Gunther… I think… eh… I forgot to tell you something…”

For the first time, Andre focused his attention on Chase, as did everyone else.

+ + +

Can you predict what will happen in the future?