Page 58 of Tainted Essence
“Thank you for helping us,” she says low enough for only me to hear, then she pulls back.
I shoot her a kind smile as I stuff my hands back in the pocket. “There is no thanks needed, Anya, truly.” She nods, then gestures for me to head inside before her. Their home is spacious and has this real homey feeling to it. I smile at the sight of all the photos of Destiny and her cousins that adorn the walls. She looks really happy in a lot of them but that smile slowly fades when you reach the ones of her in college and now her parents know why. Anya leads me into the living room where Gage and Destiny are sitting on one of the sofa’s.
I claim the single seat while Anya takes the vacant space next to her daughter. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. I feel out of place and awkward but I’m trying to show her without words that I’m here and I want this!
“How are you feeling?” Anya asks her quietly.
Destiny twiddles her fingers in her lap and keeps her eyes downcast. “Like a fraud.”
“Why the hell would you feel like that?” Gage snaps. Anya shoots him a look telling him to rein it the fuck in.
When she still doesn’t answer he sighs and slouches back looking defeated. I know I’m supposed to remain silent but fuck him and his rules. I stand ignoring his look of warning and drop to my knees in front of Destiny. Anya stands and moves to sit beside Gage, giving us some space. She still won’t meet my gaze so I reach out and grip her chin, forcing her to look at me. Those gray-blues eyes look haunted, I’d do anything to never see that look in them ever again.
“You aren’t a fraud. You coped the only way you knew how, they don’t see you as anything less.” A soft whimper escapes her, I see Gage trying to stand out of the corner of my eye but Anya stops him with a hand to his chest.
“I let them down,” she says quietly but they hear. Gage growls and Anya sniffs.
“No. You could never do anything for them to be disappointed in you. Nothing that happened to you is your fault, baby, you didn’t ask for him to…” I take a deep breath and rein in my own anger before continuing. “You didn’t ask for that cunt to do what he did. He took what didn’t belong to him and for that, he will fucking suffer. I swear it.” I reach up and swipe away her tears with my thumbs.
“I want my mom,” she chokes out. Within a split second, Anya is at her side and pulls her into her embrace where she breaks down. “I’m so sorry, Mom.”
“No, I’m sorry I never saw the pain in your eyes until now.” Both of them are bawling and it pains me to see it.
“I never wanted you to be disappointed in me.” Anya pushes her back and cups her face between her hands.
“Destiny Laurel Murdoch, there is nothing and I mean nothing in this fucking world that could make me see you differently. You are my miracle, my greatest gift. Never ever forget that, baby girl.” Sobs wrack my girl's body and I clench my fists, forcing myself not to haul her away from her mother.
“Move,” Gage snaps a second before shoving me out of the way and pulling both girls into his arms. I stand here and stare at them in awe. What I wouldn’t have given to have parents like hers growing up, maybe I would have turned out differently if I didn’t have a junkie for a mother and a rapist for a stepfather.
I reclaim the chair I had just vacated and sit silently as Destiny tells them everything. I may have already heard the story before but it doesn’t make it any easier to stomach. Gage looks murderous, like he is hanging onto his sanity by a thread. I can already tell he won’t be able to transport that cunt without killing him. Anya looks like she wants to maim someone but I see the blame in her eyes as well, she thinks what happened to her baby is her fault.
“I never should have kept that fucking formula,” she forces out through clenched teeth.
“No, Mom. None of this is on you, I had… stars in my eyes where Koda was concerned. He said and did all the right things. I fell into his trap,” Destiny says bitterly.
“The blame isn’t on either of you. I should have left this life behind the second I married your mother. I thought we were invincible and untouchable,” Gage admits.
Fuck this!
“None of this is any of your faults.” All three of them snap their gazes toward me. “You cannot control the actions of others. The trauma she suffered through doesn’t make her a victim, it makes her a fucking warrior who came out the other side stronger. Both of you raised her to be the fighter she is and it’s because of your teachings why she was able to survive such a traumatic event on her own.”
“Shut up,” Gage snaps. I roll my eyes and slouch back in my seat but Destiny keeps her eyes glued to mine.
“I’m kind of tired.” Gage and Anya both climb to their feet, muttering about how they will both sleep on her floor or offer her to sleep between them but she shakes her head ignoring them as she asks me. “You planning on running again?”
“No,” I answer without hesitation, she looks skeptical and I don’t blame her.
“Somehow I don’t believe you.”
“And I don’t blame you for doubting me, Slayer, but I’m here, aren’t I?” She narrows her eyes and studies me for a moment before turning to her parents and hugging them both again and telling them how she loves them before making her way toward the stairs. I deflate.
“You coming?” I perk up at her invitation and immediately jump to my feet, ready to follow her but Gage blocks my path, glaring down his nose at me.
“I kept my end of the deal, honor yours.”
I return his glare with a hardened look of my own. “I’m no bitch. I’ll be there and ready to take care of business.” He nods once before I step around him and follow his daughter up the stairs. I feel like a naughty teenager sneaking into his girlfriend’s room instead of a thirty-three-year-old man who owns his own fucking home and doesn’t need to sneak in anywhere. Her room is the last one at the end of the hall. I follow her in and close the door quietly behind us. My eyes widen at the color scheme of her room.
Pink.