Page 56 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

“Hey, Haden!” One of them called. “Did you make up an imaginary friend because no one here likes you?”

I ignored them. It shouldn’t matter what they thought. My mind was already weighed down with everything that had happened at my house last night, and I needed to get out of there before I unleashed hell on the whole town.

“Freak!” one of them yelled as I made my way into the forest. I heard them all laughing, but I still didn’t say anything back.

My face ached with pain from the beating I had received from my father the night before. I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to get rid of the sound of my sister, Remy, begging him to stop hurting her. My father had always been cruel, but it was usually toward me. When I went to see what was going on, I found my father pinning her to the wall by her throat. I don’t know if I had ever felt anger like that before.

I saw red. Unfortunately for me, though, my void side did not come to my aid.

I had charged at him and did everything in my power to beat the shit out of him for hurting her. But in the end, my mother had helped him by distracting me, allowing him to land a sucker punch. Then he kept just beating the living shit out of me. Remiah had tried to help, but I told her to go so she was not hurt anymore. I did not understand why the void monster side of me did not attack and kill my own father.

Maybe there was a way to control this other side so that I could use it at my own disposal. I had tried to bring it out before, but it didn’t listen. What was the point of becoming a monster if I couldn’t control it? When I reached the small clearing in the trees, I sighed heavily. The relentless ache I had experienced my entire life was unbearable today. I didn’t want to feel it anymore.

The sky was a heavenly blue, and the sun warmed my cold soul. It would be a good day to die. I inched closer to the edge of the cliffs. How many times had I thought about throwing myself off, but at the end of the day, I never could? Remiah needed me. I sighed heavily as I ran my hands down my face. I looked up to the sky and begged the stars to stop torturing me with a shitty life.

“Haden?” I turned and glared at Kira. Her red hair flowed around her. Kira was pretty, and she knew it. She used it to her advantage with the noblemen in the village. They all loved her, but for some reason, she was always pestering me. She had always lingered and watched, but I never enjoyed her company. She was too cruel.

“What?” I snapped.

I looked at her, but I didn’t look for long. She didn’t interest me in the slightest.

“You look upset.”

No shit.

“I am.”

“Can I help?” She was inching toward me, but I wanted her to keep her distance. She stopped when she was a few feet in front of me. I stared her down as her big, blue eyes filled with hopefulness. Gods, she was unpleasant even to be close to. She smelled terrible, like bitter lemons.

“Help?” I scoffed. “You can help by running back to your little friends and making some more jokes at my expense. And staying far away from me.”

Her fake friendliness slipped for a moment, showing me the real her, the stuck-up brat that only wanted me because she could never have me. The sight of her disgusted me.

“I didn’t say anything.” She glared. “Besides, I much prefer your company.” She lifted her hands and grabbed my face before sliding her hands down my neck, then shoulders.

“What are you doing?” I gripped her hands and shoved them away from me. Why did she think I would ever want her touch? There was nothing nice about the way I was looking at her, so why didn't she take the fucking hint?

“I can make you feel good. I can make the sadness go away, and you can make me forget everything that happened to my family.”

She leaned in to kiss me, but I turned away from her before her mouth touched mine. Her lips hit my cheek, but then she kissed down my neck, and her hands shoved their way up my shirt. I didn’t like it. Before I could shove her, the void began pulsing inside of me violently. Fuck, it did not want her hands on me either.

Get her the fuck off of us. She does not get to touch.Shit. The void had never communicated with me like this.

“Stop,” I demanded. “I don’t like being touched.”

She didn’t stop.

“You don’t have to pretend you don’t like it. I won’t tell anyone.”

Kill her if you must.He was pissed.

I wasn't going to kill her.

Fine, but Della probably will.

My eyes snapped to the woods behind her when I thought I saw movement. Nothing seemed to be lurking, though, so I tried to focus on the fact that Kira wouldn’t take her hands off of me. Her touch did nothing but offend me.

“Get your hands off of me now.” I shoved her away so she couldn’t reach me.

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