Page 48 of Sins (The Sins Trilogy 1)
The expression leaves me breathless with shock. Her face is like something out of an exorcism.
“I’m miserable because of him. Why should he be happy? Why should he know the joy of being loved?” Her eyes, cold before, are now wild. “I miscarried three times before I had Katherine. I almost died bringing her into this world, only to have a mere six years with my daughter. He should suffer as long as I do, even if he’ll never know the true depth of my grief. Losing a child is…” She swallows, her knuckles white.
Her pain is so stark and raw that it’s as though the accident happened yesterday. I ache for Aunt Margot. I’ve never experienced anything even close to losing a child, and can’t even fathom what it’s like. But clinging to that old pain is hurting Tony, who doesn’t deserve it. “Aunt Margot…you have to let it go. Katherine’s gone, and Tony’s suffered so much.”
She raises her face and gives me a cruel sneer. “You’re awfully sure for a girl who wasn’t even there.”
I hold firm. He was only twelve when it happened. Even if he pulled the trigger himself, it was an accident, not something he should still be paying for now. “You’re deliberately being cruel because you can’t get over Katherine’s death and need to blame someone…even if it’s your own son.”
Aunt Margot’s face is at once pale and terrible, rage erupting in her eyes. If her gaze were tangible, I’d be cut to pieces.
Apprehension dries my mouth. My palms go damp with cold sweat, but I keep my chin up.
“You’ve never, ever spoken to me this way, young lady. But you did just now…and not for yourself, but for him.” Surprise and anger lace her hard tone.
“I’ve seen how he torments himself.”
Abruptly, the fury on her face vanishes. “Does he cry?”
“What?”
“Has he wept for my Katherine? Even once?”
“Not that I’ve seen.” I would’ve been worried if he had after all this time. “But—”
“Monster,” she spits. “He didn’t cry back then either. Not a single tear.”
The fine hair on the back of my neck stands. Suddenly, I’m cold under Aunt Margot’s furious gaze. Tears start to fill her eyes, making them glow like a loss-crazed lioness’s.
She touches her chest with a shaking hand. “He killed my baby and didn’t even cry. What kind of demon does that? What kind of monster have I raised?” Her hand turns into a white-knuckled fist as she steps closer toward me.
My heart starts racing with fear. I move backward, but it’s no use. I soon hit the wall, and she isn’t finished.
“I thought he was a perfect child,” she rages. “He wasn’t like other babies. He never fussed, never cried. Not like his brothers. Always smiling and happy, my perfect little prince. Lane and I thought he was an angel, the kind of child who brings blessings and happiness to a family.
“But we were wrong. He is a monster. He came to me with his sister’s blood all over him. He was wet with her blood, but not with his tears! He just sat and stared straight ahead. The only thing he didn’t do is smile, but only because he could will himself not to smile. He couldn’t will himself to cry!”
I can’t even move a finger. The picture she’s portraying is too horrifying, too tragic—for everyone. “Maybe Tony was in shock?” I whisper. When my parents died, I went into a stupor for a while before I could react properly. And unlike Tony, I wasn’t covered in their blood.
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you, Ivy? You think I don’t know you’ve been sleeping with him?” She points to the second floor. “And after all I’ve done for you.”
“Tony deserves love.”
“Is that what you tell yourself while you spread your legs for him? You don’t know what love is, Ivy. You think sex is love.” She laughs. “Sex is anything but love.
“Katherine loved him with all her innocent heart. It might be an accident he shot her, but it sure as hell was no accident he didn’t cry!” Aunt Margot invades my personal space until the tip of her nose is almost touching mine. “Do you think he’ll shed a single tear when you die?”
Holy shit.Her twisted hatred of Tony makes me feel sick. And sad.
“Do you think you’re special enough to make him cry? Is that why you defend him?” she demands.
My pulse throbs hard and fast, my scalp tight. I’ve never faced loathing like this before. It’s intense, vile; she wants to lash out because she’s hurting and wants to make sure I suffer as much as she does. I can’t believe Tony has borne it for so long without becoming twisted and broken himself.
Finally, I manage, “Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. But I’m not going to hate him for how he chooses to react.”
“You’re a fool, then. You mean nothing to him, just like Katherine meant nothing.” A chilling mix of disappointment, outrage and pain passes over her face. “By the time you realize how deluded you are, it’s going to be too late. You’ll have nobody standing beside you to make things right.” Her gaze unblinking, her mouth bloodless, she turns and stalks away.
My hands start shaking. I clench them. Hard. I’ve never stood up to Aunt Margot this way, but it was the right thing to do. Even if I could rewind the last few minutes, I wouldn’t change anything.
