Chapter 124
“I… I’m sorry,” I stammered, my voice catching. “For snapping at you earlier. I know you’re only trying to do what’s best, even if I don’t always agree with how you go about it. Thank you for being the logical one in all this.”
A small, almost imperceptible smile softened his face. “Anything for you, Raina,” he said simply, his tóne genuine.
With that, he started to follow Faith upstairs, who paused to give me a pointed look. “You need to get some rest,” she said firmly before disappearing with him.
Left alone in the silence of the living room, I sank onto the couch, my body heavy with exhaustion. As I tried to gather my thoughts, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, and my chest tightened when I saw the name on the screen.
Nathan.
Why was he calling now? And this late? My mind raced with possibilities. There was no way he knew about Grandpa–not yet. So what did he want?
I stared at the phone as it buzzed insistently in my hand before silencing itself. My thumb hovered over the call log, debating whether to call back, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I shoved the phone into my pocket and trudged upstairs.
Once in my room, I grabbed my phone again, this time dialing Alex. The line barely rang before he answered.
“Raina,” his voice came through, steady and calm. “Everything okay?”
“Where are the kids?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.
There was a brief pause before he replied, “I wasn’t supposed to let anyone know until things settle down, but… they’re safe. You don’t have to worry. I’ll let you speak to them as much as you want.”
His reassurance eased some of the tension in my chest, but not all of it. “Thank you,” I murmured.
“How’s everything on your end?” Alex asked, his tone dipping with concern. “How’s Grandpa?”
The question hit me like a punch to the gut, and the tears I’d been holding back all night finally broke free. “He’s gone,” I whispered, my voice cracking. Alex didn’t respond immediately, but the silence on his end was heavy with understanding. “I’m so sorry, Raina,” he said softly.
I couldn’t handle any more, so I ended the call without another word and collapsed onto the bed.
I didn’t even remember falling asleep, but when morning came, the sunlight streaming through my window was a harsh reminder that life was moving forward whether I wanted it to or not.
Downstairs, the house was alive with activity. Voices filled the air, phones were ringing, and the atmosphere was thick with urgency.
“What’s going on?” I asked, stepping into the living room.
Faith ended her call and turned to me. “Grandma wants the funeral done tomorrow,” she explained. “She wants it to be quiet and simple.”
I frowned, my brows knitting together. “That’s not going to happen. The media’s going to be all over it. They always are.”
Faith sighed, clearly just as exasperated as I was. Before either of us could say more, Adelaide appeared in the doorway, her presence as unwelcome as
ever.
“Someone’s here to see you,” she announced, her tone dripping with that faux sweetness I’d grown to detest.
I raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
“Nathan,” she replied, her lips curving into a sly smile.
My heart sank, and my stomach churned with a mix of dread and frustration. Of course, it was him.
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