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The uncomfortable silence nearly suffocates me as I feel glued to the spot, Lexi by my side.
"The way who looks at Brooklyn?" He repeats his question. My father looks at us with a raised eyebrow and arms folded. I really don't need this happening right now.
I mirror the way he's standing and glare at him, almost looking as if I'm challenging him. Maybe I am. Maybe I am finally speaking up against him, properly. "You don't have to know every single detail of my life. It's really not any of your business, I'm an adult." I do not stutter.
"Adult or not, you're my daughter, therefore it is my business."
"I'm not doing this right now." I say, geniunely not in the mood for all this, just because he overheard us talking about Ethan.
"We are, Brooklyn. " He's growing angry. "Does this have something to do with—," His accusing tone begins, but I cut him off before he gets to mention his name. "What if it does?"
"What do you mean what if it does? He's a murderer."
"He isn't. " I answer calmly, "I'm not the only one between us that knows this. Right now, only you know the truth behind mama's death. Soon, everyone's going to. So you better stop questioning me because God knows I should be the one questioning you."
I got him just where I want him. Like expected, he doesn't answer but his mouth twists. His hands fist.
Finally, I get to be the one to get under his skin. I know he feels threatened by me for the first time in a very long time, and that is exactly how I need him to be.
Threatened people do stupid things. Threatened people cannot do the threatening, because they're busy trying to cover up whatever they are being threatened with.
That's how I'm going to continue messing with his mind until I find out exactly what the story is.
I laugh, giving him an irritating final blow and take Lexi's hand. We walk past him and enter the bedroom. I immediately close the door behind me, locking it. I can feel my heart pounding within my chest, in a good way. This feels nice.
"Holy shit Brooks," Lexi looks at me almost admiringly, "if I'd ever stand up to my parents like that, they'd give me up for adoption, even after this age." She jokingly shudders at the thought and sits on the edge of the bed.
I give her a weak smile as I join her. "To be honest, the version of me from a few months ago wouldn't dare to either. But then again, your parents aren't liars about one another's death and possibly harmful, are they? " I laugh it off while Lexi just swiftly rubs my shoulder.
Joking about trauma's, great way of coping.
"Now that we're talking about it again and you've been mentioning how you will find out the truth, do you have a plan? Like, how are we going to pull this off?"
