Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 120326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
“It means you’ve been falling behind at work for weeks. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. And I know for a fact it’s because you’ve been spending all your time with that little piece over there.”
I feel like I want to disappear when Alan’s disapproving stare settles on me for a short moment. Suddenly, I get to experience firsthand a tiny glimpse of what Sasha and Robert have been dealing with their entire lives.
“What the fuck has that got to do with anything?”
“It means that if you don’t sit down, shut up, and start doing the job I pay you for, you’ll be out on your ear.”
Sasha reaches forward and grabs Robert’s arm. “Come on, Rob. Let’s just go. We don’t have to listen to this. We don’t need him.”
The brother and sister stare at each other for a long time, as though coming to the sudden epiphany that it’s true, they don’t need their father’s approval to live their lives. My heart beats fast just watching them.
Then, out of the blue, Robert laughs. “You’re right, Sash. You’re so bloody right.”
With that, he goes to help me from my seat and then gestures for Sasha to lead the way out of the house.
“Get back here this instant,” Alan demands, following us to the front lobby.
“What? Only a minute ago you were telling Sasha to leave. We’ll come back when you stop being such a bigot,” Robert says cuttingly.
“Do you forget whose roof you’re all living under?”
“We’ll move out in the morning if that’s what you want,” says Sasha, a touch of anger to her words.
“That’s not what I meant,” Alan replies, losing some of his steam. “Just come back into the dining room so we can discuss this.”
“Dad, I’m exhausted. Do you know how much willpower it took to come here today and tell you what I just did? And then you go and piss all over me. I have to go.”
“Sasha,” Alan pleads.
Her face softens a touch. “No, Dad. I can’t do this. You reacted the way you did, and I just can’t be around you right now.”
With that, she strides out the door. Just before he can do the same, Alan grabs a hold of Robert’s arm, running his other hand through his hair.
“Listen, son. Tell her I’m sorry. I just…she should have told me in private, not at dinner in front of Melanie and everything.”
Swiftly, Robert withdraws his arm from his father’s hold. “It shouldn’t fucking matter even if she announced it in front of the bloody House of Commons, Dad. The way you spoke to her was shitty on so many levels I can’t even begin to break it down for you. You think everyone else is the problem, that we’re not living up to your standards, when in reality the problem is inside you, and until you learn to change your ridiculous opinions, the problems will continue to be there.”
Alan blinks at his son, his eyes wide. There’s a long stretch of silence, and then finally he says, deflated, “Just tell her I’m sorry.”
Robert shakes his head, as though disappointed. “Yeah, I’ll tell her.” His words come out harsh, and then he’s leading me from the house.
It’s a quiet journey driving home in the car. I sit in the back with Sasha, just silently holding her hand and trying to let her know that everything will be all right.
“What on earth…” Robert breathes as we pull into the driveway at the house. I follow his gaze to where the front door is sitting wide open.
Oh, shit. We’ve been burgled.
This day seriously couldn’t get any worse.
“Did one of you forget to close the door when we left earlier?” Robert asks, with wishful thinking.
Sasha speaks up. “No, I distinctly remember locking it.”
We all make eye contact for a moment before getting out of the car.
“Both of you stay here and call the police. I’m going to check if they’re still inside.”
I pull him back. “No, you can’t go in there. What if they’re armed?”
At this we hear the noise of furniture crashing to the floor from inside, and before I can stop him Robert dashes into the house. Not properly thinking it through, Sasha and I run after him. The noise is coming from upstairs, and we take the steps two at a time.
Looking through each room in turn, we finally discover the source of the trashing, which is coming directly from Robert’s room. The noise of glass hitting the wall and smashing to pieces sounds in my ears.
When Robert carefully pushes the door open, standing in front of me and Sasha to shield us, we find a crazed Kara inside. Her dark eyes are manic as she stands among Robert’s trashed possessions, smugly holding his camera in her hand.
“Well, well, well,” she says, her voice high-pitched with satisfaction. “You two are kind of kinky, aren’t you?” Her gaze flickers from me to Robert and back again as she scrolls through his pictures. It hits me like a sledgehammer that she’s looking through the pictures he took of me, the ones I always thought only he would ever see.
“Kara! What the fuck do you think you’re doing, you nutter?” Sasha hisses, staring in awe at the carnage this one small woman created.
“Your brother stole something that belonged to me. I was only trying to take it back,” Kara answers, scowling.
“Jesus Christ, Rob. What have you done now?” Sasha asks, turning to her brother.
He ignores her and levels his stare on Kara, demanding, “Hand that over right this instant.”
All of a sudden, I feel my body begin to tremble and my hands shake. The idea of Kara having those pictures and showing them to other people fills me with a sense of urgent anxiety. I clutch my chest as my heart beats hard and fast.
Sweat drips out of me, and I heave like I’ve just run a marathon. My throat clenches with thirst, and my vision blurs. Then the pressure of a tonne of bricks falls down on me, and I’m vaguely aware of the fact that I’m going to faint. Losing all strength, I let out a cry of nausea, and Robert turns swiftly to face me in concern. Kara uses his momentary distraction to make a run for it, clutching the camera in her grip and dashing out of the room.