Page 35 of Healed
“Is anyone going to explain the potato peeler situation to me?” I asked when it was just me and Vienna.
“Probably best you don’t know.”
I nodded, and let the silence fall over us both.
Me.
Vienna.
And a million unspoken questions.
Chapter 10
Gabriella
The silence dragged on, making the air almost thick with tension.
It wasn’t quite awkward, but not quite the easy familiarity we had both shared either.
“How are—?”
“Do you need—?”
We both laughed as we spoke at the same time. Vienna gestured for me to speak first.
“I was just going to ask how you are? Probably a silly question, all things considered,” I said with a rueful smile.
“I was going to ask if you needed anything.”
“I need to talk,” I said, and he sighed heavily.
“Yeah, I figured you would. Pull up that chair,” he said, nodding at the wooden stool near the desk. “I’ll answer anything you need to ask.”
I did as he asked, and the second I was sitting down, I asked my question without hesitation.
“What happened to her, Vienna? Where’s my mum?”
Vienna grasped my hand, running his thumb along my knuckles. To anyone else, this may have looked like an innocent gesture. But I knew what he was doing. He was subtly checking me over, looking for bruises and marks.
And I let him. Because the time for hiding what happened was long over.
“She’s dead,” he replied quietly, and though I felt my heart shatter at his words, an intense, physical pain exploding through my body, I wasn’t surprised.
“How?”
“Short story—I killed her.”
My head snapped up, and I pulled my hand away.
“And what’s the long story?”
“Would it make a difference?” he asked, a kindness shimmering in his eyes.
“It would be the difference between me stabbing you between the eyes right here, right now, and me being willing to listen to your explanation,” I snapped back, a burning, almost hateful sensation creeping down my spine.
“Gabby… when was the last time you looked at your mum? And I mean, really looked at her?”
“What the fuck are you talking about? I saw her every damned day.”
