Between Us and These Bones

30

Haisley's POV

I betrayed my siblings.

I betrayed my twin.

"You can't overthink it," Loyd said, passing a car on the highway, making me dig my nails into my palm. He drove too fast. "Your father will always get what he wants, and you know that."

I ignored him, staring out the window. I had snuck out of my grandfather's house two hours ago to meet Loyd in town; no doubt my siblings were already figuring out I betrayed them. I felt miserable about it, even though I had been in the presence of Wayne when he didn't get what he wanted.

I had been with my father for more than a year until he disappeared eight months ago and left me at the group home. He dropped me off at a friend's house but she couldn't provide for me, not with four other kids. From there, I ran away, living on the streets until Wayne found me again and told me I had a twin named Tarryn and he knew my mother had her.

I didn't believe him at first, but after he showed me photographs of my mother, Eliza, and a family photo

He showed me photographs of her, he told me our mother separated us from a young age, and I believed him when he could bring us all back together. During the time I spent around him as a child, I always felt like I was walking on eggshells around him, never quite sure what to say or do. He always seemed to have an ulterior motive, constantly pushing everyone around him to do things that made them uncomfortable.

At first, I brushed it off as just their personality, thinking they were a bit pushy or controlling. But as time passed, I realized something more insidious was at play.

He would use guilt trips and emotional manipulation to get his way, constantly twisting the situation to make it seem like I was wrong. I knew he was obsessed with finding my mother and sister. He had hired professionals to track them down.

Yet, I got caught in the crossfire whenever someone did him dirty. My father had many friends ... and many more enemies. Slowly but surely, he began to chip away at my sense of self-worth and confidence, making me doubt my own perceptions and feelings. I began questioning everything, wondering if I was overreacting or being too sensitive.

It was a suffocating feeling, like being trapped in a never-ending manipulation and emotional abuse cycle. I wanted to break free, to stand up for myself and say no, but the fear of his reaction held me back.

I felt like I was losing myself, becoming someone I didn't recognize. I longed for the freedom to be myself, to make my own decisions without fear of retribution. But most of all, I wanted to break free from their manipulation and regain control over my life. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to find a way out of the suffocating web of his manipulation.

Tarryn's POV

"Mom?" I whispered, not believing my eyes. My mom stood by the stove, her eyes widening. She tried to walk forward, but the chain attached to her ankle clanged as it went as far as it could go. I ran to her, closing the distance and running into her arms. "Mom, I was so worried."

"Oh, sweetheart," she whispered, hugging me tight. She pulled away, and I swallowed back a cry. Her face was full of bruises and I couldn't mask my shocked expression.

Wayne sighed, crossing his arms. "I told you to cover those, Eliza." My mom swallowed, blinking, and didn't answer him. "After dinner, cover them up."

His voice made my skin crawl. I glanced at my mom, nodding, ready to fight him, but I noticed the slight shake of her head. "Don't fight him," she mouthed, and I didn't understand. How else would we get out of here, away from this psychopath?