Page 125 of Hexed
I blink twice, letting my eyes unfocus and then refocus, and I move my gaze from where Enzo disappeared to my uncle. I meet his stare, lifting my chin and hiding the tremble in my hands.
“After all I’ve done for you,” Uncle T hisses. “I don’t even know who the hell you are.”
That’s fair. Some days lately, I don’t even think I really know myself.
“You know who I am,” I reply, my voice low. “I’m just like my momma…right?”
I won’t lie, this hurts. Having Uncle T stare at me like I’m a stranger. Like I’m the biggest disappointment he’s ever seen. It sears into me like a serrated knife, jagged and cold, but I don’t know this version of him, this untrustworthy, secretive man who keeps me locked out and lies to my face.
A twinge of grief taps against my chest.
“Don’t look like that. Don’t youdaremake that face,” he spits at me again, taking a step closer. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“What I’ve done?” I laugh incredulously. “All I’veeverdone is what you’ve asked of me. I bend over backward for your approval, to try to get even a smidgen of what you reserve for your precious daughter.”
“So you fuck her husband instead?” he asks.
“They’re not married, and I didn’t fuck him.”
“Semantics.”
“But I should have,” I say, taking a step closer.
He stands up straight, towering over me even though we’re almost the same height, his eyes narrowed and icy.
My uncle is an intimidating man, but this is the first time he’s directed it at me in full force.
Doesn’t matter. I’m too angry to be afraid.
“Watch your mouth,” he snaps.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore.”
“I can’t even fuckinglookat you,” Uncle T says. “I knew there was something going on. Saw you two on the cameras that first day. I should have known you wouldn’t be able to keep your legs closed long enough to actually accomplish something useful.” He pauses and lifts his chin. “You’re right. Youarejust like your momma.”
I point my finger in his face, my teeth clenched, trying like hell to maintain composure. “You keep her name out of your mouth.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Keep her name out of my mouth? Little one, you have no idea, do you? You stupid, insignificant, motherless child.”
Each word is a stab to my already-broken world. But my illusion of him has shattered, and I see this for what it is. Seehimfor what he is.
The devil.
My enemy.
“She was a useless slut when she was younger, and she was a useless slut when she died,” he goes on.
My insides ice over. “Was it you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know exactly what I mean.” I step forward until there’s barely any space between us. “Was. It. You who killed her? I deserve to know that much, at least.”
“No.” He leans in, his eyes angry. “But I wish it had been.”
“Was it my father?”
He scoffs. “How would I know that?”
