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Chapter 4

The next hour was filled with delicious smells of different food and lots of catching up.

'Congratulations on finishing high school, Case," Jerry shot me a brief smile in-between chewing his food across the table and I looked up from helping Pio spooning the little leftovers on his plate to give Jerry one of my own.

'Thank you, it's definitely feels good to finally finish that bit of my education," I laughed lightly.

'Casey, why are you never here when Adam is around? Don't you miss him?" Cali asked quietly from my left side and I felt myself tense up.

'Cali..." Preston started but I shook my head at him, mouthing ‘it's okay'.

I couldn't face Cali when I answered her, afraid that she'll see something in my eyes that I don't want her to see.

'I do miss him, love. Things are just really complicated right now," I said in a half-whisper, trying to keep the emotions at bay.

Cali nodded, apparently detecting the sadness and wistful tone in my voice was probably hard to miss. I felt guilty for not being able to tell her the truth but she was just a kid.

Just then, the door banged open and I jumped in my seat, looking around.

Jerry and Preston had a semi-frown on their faces but I could see the uneasiness in their eyes.

From the front door, a voice that I haven't heard in a long time called out.

'Pio? Cali?" I gulped, looking at Preston who was rooted to his seat. My eyes moved to look at Jerry who was too stunned to do anything.

He wasn't supposed to come back until tomorrow. He was supposed to be staying at a friend's house. He wasn't supposed to be home today.

'Dad?" The voice was much closer now and yet, none of us could move except for the kids who were looking at our faces in silent confusion.

I could tell that they wanted to greet their older brother but I knew they could probably sense the tension in the room.

'Preston?" The voice was coming from the kitchen's door and my back was facing it. Nevertheless, I squeezed my eyes shut, in my last desperate attempt to disappear.

It'd be a good time to grant me the power of invisibility or teleportation right now, God.

Any time now...

No?

Fml.

'Who are you?" I'm pretty sure that question was directed to me and it hurts to be reminded that he knew nothing of our past together; to know that the memory of us wasn't there anymore.

I took a deep breath before looking at Preston dead in the eye but his gaze was fixated on the man behind me. A tinge of mortification was visible in his eyes but it was enough to set my nerves on edge.

I slowly stepped out of my seat at the same time as Jerry and Preston step out of theirs. Finally gathering enough courage to face him, I turned around to meet Adam's eyes.

Those eyes were still as green as ever and I would've stared into them longer than i had if his appearance wasn't so distracting.

His clothes were torn and dirt covered them as well as his face. His weight was set on one foot as if he had injured the other but his stance indicated that he was ready to attack me if I made the wrong move.

Dirt stuck to him like a second skin but what stood out to me was the fact that he had blood dripping out of a gash on his arm.

Recognition flashed in his eyes and hope filled me that maybe, just maybe, he might remember who I am, what we were.

But that hope vanished as soon as it came as that recognition turned to hatred.

'You," he growled out, looking like he was ready to bite my head off. His hand shot out and made a grab for my neck but my reflexes kicked in and i ducked before swiveling out of the way. The kids screamed in terror, seeing their brother try to hurt me.

'What is she doing here?!" He demanded to Jerry and when he didn't get an answer, he turned to Preston.

'Did you invite this murderer into our house?!" He yelled. The kids looked terrified and Jerry seemed to notice it since he turned and told them to go into their rooms.

But instead of doing that, they ran towards me and hugged each of my legs. I tensed up and looked down at them. I could feel my eyes softening at the sight of the petrified looks in their eyes.

'Why are you hugging her? She murdered our mother! She's a murderer! A killer! Is this how you treat your mother's murderer? Hugging her and inviting her into your house for dinner?" Adam sounded furious and every word struck me like a bullet.

How he had come to all these conclusions were a mystery to me but no one, not even him, can yell at Cali and Pio like that. Insult me and accuse me of committing absurd things? Fine. But when you start scaring the little ones, be prepared to receive hell.

'Don't talk to them like that," I snapped at him as both children hid behind me, seeking shelter from their enraged brother.

His gaze snapped to me and those eyes that once looked at me with affection and love was looking at me with hatred and looked colder than it has ever looked before.

'Don't you dare talk to me like that; get away from my family, our house and leave us alone. Haven't you done enough? You took our mother and what? You're going to take my younger siblings as well?"

He turned to Jerry with an accusing glare, 'And you're going to let her do that, huh?"

He didn't wait for an explanation, he just shook his head, looked at me one last time before taking a knife from the kitchen counter before uttering words that I never thought he would say to me.

'I should just kill you myself for causing us this pain and loss," and with that, he charged at me, knife in hand.

I twisted my body, covering the little ones from harm's way and yet still trying to block the knife from plunging into any of my limbs. My hands shot out to stop his hand from stabbing me but I could barely fight against the sheer force he's applying to the knife since I was trying to protect the kids and trying not to injure him at the same time.

Not a second later, Jerry and Preston wrenched him away from me and I breathed heavily, taking the kids into my arms and running to the furthest bathroom in the house to keep them safe.

'Stay here," I whispered to them and they nodded, Cali keeping her arms around Pio and holding him tight against her.

I moved silently towards the kitchen, wanting to straighten things out with Adam. But when I got there, both men were still trying to get a tight grip on him to prevent him from running and butchering me with the knife that was lying on the floor.

Preston saw me looking from afar and mouthed ‘go'. I nodded silently, picking up my pace and walking out the door, not wanting to make matters worse than it already is.

I breathed the fresh air and got into my car, turning on its engine and pulling out of the driveway. I stopped a block away from the house before rolling down the windows and turning off the engine. I grabbed the coat on the seat beside me and draped it over myself.

It's going to be a long night.

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