Bombshells ~ Complete

Chapter Twenty-Two: Trances

Everything happened perfectly. It was Lila's happily ever after. At least, that's what she thought when she uttered those two words that changed her life forever. 

"I do." Lila smiled brightly. My father dipped her in a long kiss, eliciting yells and a thunderous roar of clapping. I couldn't even form a smile. I looked at Kas, who was in the first row. She looked at me with the same pained look I was looking at her with. She shook her head, letting me know that it wasn't the time or place to tell everyone what an evil human being my father was. 

If he was still a human being after all that time. 

"Ariel, are you alright?" Liam asked, taking my elbow. I looked up at him with a vacant expression. Lila and my father were just running from the church to the limo. Everyone had followed after them. I was still standing at the altar, the flowers I was holding were on the ground. Liam and I were the only ones left. 

I blinked, seemingly waking myself up from my shock. I gave a small smile, and nodded. 

"I'm fine." I whispered, tears gathering in my eyes. I could feel that horrible burning sensation in the back of my throat that I hated so much. 

All I could see was my mother falling. I could hear my high pitched screams, the awful snap, the tightening of my throat. The sudden pain that had me collapsing onto my knees. The pain was excruciating. 

But I was forced to push away the pain and help my father cover up my mom's death. An unfortunate accident. That's what everyone said, glancing at me with pitying looks at her funeral. I didn't know what to do or say, so I kept to myself and didn't let anyone close to me. Father would just find some cruel way to take them away. 

"Ariel?" Liam yelled, frantically shaking my shoulders. I looked at him, confused at all his concern. I then realized I was sitting on the floor, crying. 

"I... I'm fine. I just panicked a little bit." I gave a soft chuckle. Liam sat back on his heels, shaking his head. 

"You panicked? You had me freaking out." He muttered, running his hands over his face. The corner of my lips quirked up. He was somewhat funny. 

"I'm sorry. Are we ready to go?" I asked, getting up. I was so thankful that Kas had made all my makeup waterproof. She thought that I would have a slight freakout about my father getting remarried. 

"Sure." Liam shrugged, holding out his arm. I took it gratefully and stepped down from the raised platform of the altar. We continued walking to the parking lot, where the boys were starting to look a little worried. Kas was the only one who didn't look worried. In fact, she was shying away from Xavier who was looking at her with a hawk-like gaze. 

"Ari, what happened? Are you okay?" Lucas asked once he saw me. Liam and I looked at each other. I shrugged and gave a small smile.

"I had a minor freak-out. Everything's happening so fast." I whispered, looking at my shoes. Dang, my feet hurt so bad I could barely feel them. Kas better have packed my converse, or at least some dang flats. 

"What do you mean?" Nathaniel asked, worry creeping into his voice. I looked at the time on my recently acquired phone. (The boys flipped out when they saw I didn't have a phone and went and bought me one.) Reception didn't start till seven and it was only five forty five. I had time. 

"My mom died five months ago. Two months ago I found out my father was engaged to another woman and that I was moving away from my mom and from the house where all her memories were. Everything just landed on top of me really quickly and... I dunno. It just kinda hit me." I said, shrugging my shoulders. I seemed to be doing a lot of that. 

Liam, Peggy, Jake, Kas, and Carter all looked more than a little surprised when I said my mom only died five months ago. It was such a short time for grieving. Like I had done any of that, anyways. 

"Seriously? And your dad's already getting remarried? Must not have been a happy relationship." Peggy snorted. 

I tensed, my face paled, and I could feel myself start to tremble. 

Memory after memory hit me. Them fighting, him throwing things at her, him throwing her, him beating her to a pulp, him torturing her, him laughing at her screams. Him telling her he would kill me if she tried to run. 

I was the reason my own mother died. I could admit that. But, the thing was, I always thought my mom still loved my father for some reason. 

But it didn't matter. He still ended up killing her. Starting a new life. A new life without her in it. 

"-iel? Ariel? Peggy, why would you say some shit like that to her?" Kade snapped, his hands cupping my cheeks. I snapped out of my trance. Why was I doing that? Just going off into another world like that, with no warning at all?

"Yeah, not a happy relationship. They fought all the time. Like mad dogs." I whispered, a tear making its way down my face. Kade pulled me close to his chest and wiped away my tear. Peggy looked guilty and apologetic. I buried my face into Kade's shirt. I could feel his steady heartbeat. It was comforting. 

In all the mayhem and chaos of everything that had happened in my life, I found my rock in my older brother's heartbeat. 

"I'm sorry I said that. I wasn't thinking." Peggy said, biting her lip. I had removed my face from Kade's front, and shot her a quick smile. I then plastered on a beaming expression. Their eyes widened at how quickly my tortured, saddened expression turned into one of complete joy. 

"I've heard there's this great party happening across town. And if we want to make it, we're going to have to hurry." I said, putting my hands on my hips. Kas linked her arm with me and shot me a knowing look. Xavier seemed to catch the look. 

"Let's go, then."