Page 67 of His Cursed Heart

"What do you want?" Althea pinches my hand and I

tighten my hand on her hip.

Dad looks at us with a funny face and a raised eyebrow.

"Your Mom wants you to accompany us to dinner tomorrow evening. Your sister will be there too."

"And you needed to tell me that in person?" I ask him.

"Dio Mio, Keaton!" Althea says exasperated.

With a sigh, I nod my head.

"We'll be there." I murmur.

"Wonderful. I'll let your Mom know." And he leaves without a goodbye.

Sneaky old man.

Althea looks at me and moves out of my touch.

"Family dinner?" She asks like that word is foreign to her.

"Family dinner." I approve.

I stare at the three outfits on the bed, trying to decide what to wear at this family dinner.

I shouldn't be nervous; they shouldn't make me feel like that. I've been pretending my whole life. For Mom. For Keres.

Sometimes I wonder if the fake version of myself became the real me.

I don't know how to let out a normal laugh. I don't know what received affection feels like. I don't know how to be myself. And after all these years, I realize that this is the way it should be.

I can't see myself as a normal twenty-three year old woman. The kind who has a stable job, who meets with her friends to gossip. Maybe care about her manners and imagine.

I've never been that. Not even when Mamma was here. I was born like this.

A normal life is too boring for me. I can't see myself without my brutal art, my psychopath best friend.

My abusive father.

He hit me many times during my childhood. He still thinks that the only way to teach a child manners and

respect is by beating them. But he never touched Keres and Vincent.

I can still feel his hard palm smacking my face. He loved hitting me in the face. Sometimes he grabbed a belt, saying that this method will make me a good girl. He would slap that belt on my back until I faint and the blood would stain the floor. And if he wasn't satisfied, he put me in a bathtub with hot water.

My screams were useless. My throat was always hoarse and dry.

He would do this when Mamma was sleeping. My wounds healed because of Keres's care, but the scars that I still have will never disappear.

And when Mamma left, the real chaos came.

I sigh at the memory of him. It's the longest me and my father haven't talked. I don't have to talk with him to know that he's angry because Vincent stays at Venus's place.

Venus somehow convinced Hanibal to let Vincent stay with her. This helps me sleep at night. Knowing that my little brother is safe and happy.

The steps outside of the door makes me focus again on the outfits.