Shadowed

Chapter 59

For a moment Kale’s breathing stopped. He sat ridged in the driver’s seat, frozen.  The tendon in his neck twitched and he swallowed, taking in a breath. “His farther murdered your parents.”

He seemed to chew over this knowledge for a long time, a passive look wearing the lines in his forehead as he frowned out the window.

The car changed gear as it began up the mountain.

It was then as if he had realized something and the car sped up the engine growling and jerking forward.

“What does he want from you?” Kale ground out his fists clenching around the steering wheel again.  Kale looked strangely at me and then back to the road again his breathing quickening as the steering wheel was crushed in his large fists.

“I don’t know.” I whispered a fresh tear rolling down my face.

My head hit the back of the seat and I turned to look out the window no longer wanting to look at him.  I watched as dark trees flashed past the window as the road grew steeper winding up and up.  The car was silent once more, only the sound of the radiator going and the engine as Kale shifted gears angrily.

Kale’s phone started ringing making me jump as it rattled in the cup holder. The screen was brightly lit up with Ryan’s name.

It rang for a few seconds and I began to wonder if I was supposed to pick it up, when Kale’s hand shot out.

“We’re all out.”

“ Good.” Kale grunted.

“We had a little bit of a tossup with James…”

“What happened?!” Kale growled.

“He got into a bit of a scrap with one of the men. Not sure who it was but James was furious. Jace, Brody and Caleb had to pull him out of it.”

“Is he okay?”

“Looks like he managed a black eye, but other than that yeah… Is Kaela alright?”

Kale growled. “She’s fine.” He snapped. “Are you with Caleb?”

“…yeah. I’ll pass you over.”

The car bumped and shook as Kale drove over the Gravel of the driveway churning up dust.

“Hey man.” Caleb said down the phone.

“ Was it Adam?” Kale whispered down the phone to try and prevent the other guys with Caleb from hearing.

“Yeah. I reckon it was.”

“Fuck. How’s James?”

“Quiet.”

“Alright.” Kale sighed. “Don’t mention it yet. See you soon.”

Kale hung up and dropped the phone back into the cup holder as he turned around at the end of our drive way parking outside the door. The engine shut off and Kale took the keys out of the ignition.

The car began to cool clicking as the bonnet began to feel the cool bite of Autumn.

Outside the crickets were only just audible their singing of summer coming to an end. Kale shifted in his seat to face me, the car creaking under his weight. His turquoise green eyes burned in the darkness with their unnatural glow, they saw right through me. They always had.

“I’m sorry.”

I nodded my eyes welling up again. Flashing images of that night were beginning to play around in my head once again. The smashed windows of our empty house, the blood all over the living room floor and it’s stickiness as I unknowingly put my hand in it on the door way.