Revelations
Then
"I didn't do this."
The detective looked at me, and I could tell he didn't believe me.
No one believed me.
Not my mom. Not Kayla.
And as far as I knew, Isaac was avoiding me. He'd left right after the police picked me up. I knew he wouldn't answer my calls or texts even if I tried to contact him.
I didn't have anyone.
I was alone.
"Tell me what happened," the man said again, for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I'm having trouble figuring it out. Your mother said she found you at home, your father stabbed, and you were holding the knife."
"I wasn't—I would never hurt him."
"But you told him." He looked at the file in front of him. "You said you'd had an argument a few nights before, and you told him that you wished he wasn't around anymore."
I shut my eyes. "I didn't mean that I wished he'd died. What kind of a daughter wishes that on their father? I was angry at him, and I said something I didn't mean."
"Well, he's dead, Nina." There was little empathy in his tone. "You got what you wished for. Did he get drunk and hit you? Hit your mother or sister? You could have defended them. I'd understand that this was done to protect them, then."
"No," I snapped, glaring at him." "He wouldn't."
"Your mom and sister are outside waiting for you."
"They're here?"
When the cops brought me in, Mom and Kayla stayed behind. They looked scared and disappointed and angry.
They were against me.
"Your mom told me to tell you goodbye, Nina."
I dragged my eyes up to his face. "Excuse me?"
"Kayla said they were leaving town."
"No," I whispered, standing. "I have to see them. It's a mistake."
"Kayla!" I shouted as I pushed by people to get to her.
"Nina," she said, her voice cracking. Her eyes were red and puffy. "I'm sorry. We can't stay. Mom's afraid."
Afraid of me, she meant.
"I'm sorry," she said again, as Mom took her by the shoulders. She didn't look at me as she took my sister away.
I was officially alone.
A hand fell on my arm, and I flinched.
"I have to finish questioning you, Nina."
He almost sounded sad when he said it.
Almost.
The detective looked at me, and I could tell he didn't believe me.
No one believed me.
Not my mom. Not Kayla.
And as far as I knew, Isaac was avoiding me. He'd left right after the police picked me up. I knew he wouldn't answer my calls or texts even if I tried to contact him.
I didn't have anyone.
I was alone.
"Tell me what happened," the man said again, for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I'm having trouble figuring it out. Your mother said she found you at home, your father stabbed, and you were holding the knife."
"I wasn't—I would never hurt him."
"But you told him." He looked at the file in front of him. "You said you'd had an argument a few nights before, and you told him that you wished he wasn't around anymore."
I shut my eyes. "I didn't mean that I wished he'd died. What kind of a daughter wishes that on their father? I was angry at him, and I said something I didn't mean."
"Well, he's dead, Nina." There was little empathy in his tone. "You got what you wished for. Did he get drunk and hit you? Hit your mother or sister? You could have defended them. I'd understand that this was done to protect them, then."
"No," I snapped, glaring at him." "He wouldn't."
"Your mom and sister are outside waiting for you."
"They're here?"
When the cops brought me in, Mom and Kayla stayed behind. They looked scared and disappointed and angry.
They were against me.
"Your mom told me to tell you goodbye, Nina."
I dragged my eyes up to his face. "Excuse me?"
"Kayla said they were leaving town."
"No," I whispered, standing. "I have to see them. It's a mistake."
**
"Kayla!" I shouted as I pushed by people to get to her.
"Nina," she said, her voice cracking. Her eyes were red and puffy. "I'm sorry. We can't stay. Mom's afraid."
Afraid of me, she meant.
"I'm sorry," she said again, as Mom took her by the shoulders. She didn't look at me as she took my sister away.
I was officially alone.
A hand fell on my arm, and I flinched.
"I have to finish questioning you, Nina."
He almost sounded sad when he said it.
Almost.