Broken

• Chapter 63 •

"Minty!" dad wraps his arms around me as soon as I come through the front door.

My eyes widen in surprise, I'd almost forgotten he'd be back today. I flinch slightly at his touch and mentally scold myself for it.

"I got back a few hours ago, your mom's taking a nap. Where have you been?" he frowns and looks down at his phone, realizing that it's nine-thirty.

I shrug, "I was working on a project. How was New York?" My heart races as I try to sound and act normal. I'm beyond terrified of my parents suspecting anything.

"It was chaotic," dad goes off on a rant about the disaster with one of his artists in New York, and I find my heart aching.

I've missed him, and his presence alone makes me want to cry for some reason. It's as though there's this weight hovering on top of me, urging me to tell him before it drops and kills me. I can't concentrate on a word he's saying. I look at him, and his face flashes to Derek's.

I blink, and he's Brandon again. I blink, and he's back to Derek. Wait, scratch that. He's the man outside Ashton's house. I blink rapidly, willing their faces out of my fucking brain. My heart practically trashes out my chest.

I finally see dad again and decide to give him a faint smile, feeling the tears prick the corners of my eyes. "I'm really tired. I'm gonna go to bed," I interrupt him in a shaky voice, darting past him in a blur.

What is wrong with me?

I run to my bathroom and release a sob as soon as the door shuts behind me. I let out a shaky breath and take a seat in my dry bathtub, hugging my knees and snuggling into my sweater.

I shut my eyes as the images flash in my brain. I thought I was getting over this? My thoughts haven't been consumed by him much the past few days. It became reduced to nightmares. Why am I back to seeing him while completely conscious?

Dad opens the bathroom door a second later, eyebrows slammed down and eyes full of concern.

"Minty, what's wrong?"

My guts twist, I hug my knees even tighter and rest my head between my knees, trying to dissipate the tears. Dad climbs into the other end of the bathtub and rests his elbows on his knees, patiently waiting for me to speak.

I look up at him and sniffle a cry. "Nothing's wrong. I've just been really emotional lately," I lie.

He cocks his eyebrow at me, clearly not buying it one bit, "Clementine... What's going on?"

"Nothing," I grit my teeth.

He clenches his jaw and bows his head. "Is that why you haven't been home in the past week? Why I found blood on a kitchen towel in the sink?" he whispers.

My heart falls. He looks up to meet my eyes with crestfallen ones, a few more tears threaten to leave my eyes.

"Who the fuck hurt you?"

The tears stream down my face. I'm tired. I feel disgusting and weak, the pain is overbearing.

"Minty, talk to me," he pleads, "What the hell is going on?"

I study his face, and the words come out like vomit. Painful, gut-wrenching, but inevitable. I'm sick of the lies. I tell him everything. From Ashton finding out about me to going out with my boyfriend, to what happened... To Ashton saving and taking care of me. He listens with knitted eyebrows, a horrified expression and a dropped jaw.

"What the fuck?"

I almost laugh. Wow, dad.

"Shit, Clementine. Are you okay?" he pulls me into his arms, rocking me back and forth in a deadly grip.