Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Victoria’s stomach twisted into yet another knot as Cillian drove them up the driveway, the setting sun ducking behind her childhood home.
He switched off the engine.
But it was cold outside. Alarm flared in her mind. Wasn’t he going to keep the car running for heat while he waited?
She turned her head to see him, breaking the silence they’d maintained during the drive there. “You don’t need to wait for me. I’m not sure how long I’ll be.” She glanced away to aim her gaze at Treese’s car parked by the garage. “Treese is here. She can drive me to my house later.”
“I’m going in with you.” Cillian’s answer squeezed her lungs, nearly making her cough.
“You can’t.”
“You bet I can.” His hard tone matched the flex of the muscle in his jaw. He turned to her, his coal eyes flashing. “You are not going to face him alone. You don’t have to anymore.”
Her throat shrunk even more, but this time from a ball that seemed to fill the space there.
Her ribs pinched and moisture stung her eyes.
The only one who had ever faced her father with her was her mother.
Oh, how good Mom had been at smoothing things over with him, at shielding Victoria while still keeping the peace with Dad.
If only Victoria was half as skilled at peacemaking as her mom. If only she was half the person her mom had been.
But she did have the Lord. And if Mom was with her now, she would remind Victoria that her real strength in times of trouble came from and through Jesus Christ.
She cleared her throat but didn’t look away from the intensity of Cillian’s gaze. “Thank you. But seeing you would only upset him more and give me more to explain.”
“Maybe it’d be good for him to know I’m back in your life.”
She blinked. He made it sound as if they were dating. That would be the worst thing for her father to think was happening right now. “That would only bring up bad memories for all of us.”
Cillian stared at her.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have used such strong wording. She hadn’t meant to hurt or insult him.
Something sparked in his eyes, the flare of heat that used to signal he was attracted to her and about to act on it. “I have a lot of good memories of that time. Of us.” His voice pitched lower than usual. “Can you honestly tell me you don’t?”
She tried to swallow, her throat dry. Memories she hadn’t thought about for years cascaded through her mind.
The powerful elation, butterflies, and wonder of her first crush.
How he’d made her laugh harder and more often than she ever had.
How he’d made her feel special, beautiful, wanted.
The happiness she’d felt when she was with him.
Until that night.
The image of her mother, lying in the bed when Victoria had returned home, banished all the other memories from her mind.
She looked away, staring out the windshield at the darkening sky. “That last night overshadows everything else.”
Tension filled the silence between them.
She should go. She reached for the door handle.
“I suppose your father still blames you for that.”
She paused, then moistened her lips. “He doesn’t know.”
“How could he not know?” Surprise lifted Cillian’s tone.
She looked at him, removing her hand from the door. “He wasn’t there when I returned. When…” Her mother died. The words lodged in Victoria’s heart, far from being voiced. But Cillian knew. He was the only one who really knew.
His lowered eyebrows and the gravity filling his dark orbs confirmed that knowledge, that understanding.
But she couldn’t leave him thinking she had lied to her father to save herself, to cover up her disobedience and the worst mistake of her life.
“I knew it would upset him more if I told him. And the children needed me so much. I needed to be trustworthy for them, to be like their mom. I had to do everything I could to minimize the trauma and pain for everyone.” If she hadn’t, the family would have fallen apart.
Every time she’d considered telling her father the complete truth of what had happened that night, she had realized it would only harm the family, causing pain and possibly division. Mom would not have wanted that.
It would have been one of those things, like the only B grade Victoria had ever received in school, that Mom would’ve said to keep between themselves to avoid upsetting Dad.
Keeping the full knowledge to herself was exactly what Mom would have done and instructed Victoria to do, for the sake of peace in the family.
“That must be a lot of weight to carry by yourself.” Cillian’s softer tone drew her attention back to his face. Concern pulled down the corners of his mouth and furrowed his brow.
Her heart warmed behind her ribs, though it shouldn’t. She couldn’t rely on Cillian or let him become important to her again. That was the very mistake that had led to that awful night.
“Must be a hard burden to keep everyone else happy all the time at the expense of your own happiness.”
“I don’t carry it alone. God helps me to care for and serve others. And I bring my cares and burdens to Him.” Precisely as she should be doing right now.
Lord, please give me the strength to resist Cillian and face my father. The quick, silent prayer infused her cold limbs with energy as peace started to ease the tension in her stomach.
“I had better not keep Dad waiting.” She reached for the door handle again, casting a firm gaze at Cillian that she hoped would silence any further arguments. “Thank you for the ride, but I’ll have Treese drive me home.” She opened the door before he could contradict her again.
“I’ll wait.” His voice caught her as she stood.
She looked through the dimming interior at his grim, handsome face. “Thank you.” She closed the door and swiveled away, pushing her bare hands into her pockets as she hurried through the cold to the house.
At least she had peacefully resolved that situation. Now for the next faceoff with a strong-willed man, one with far less understanding and much greater power.
It wasn’t right. No one should have to carry their whole family starting at the age of fifteen. Especially not someone as good and kind as Victoria.
She couldn’t even tell her own father about the guilt she carried. Not that she was actually guilty of anything wrong. What happened with her mom wasn’t her fault. But he would never forget the phrase she’d kept repeating when she had called to say she couldn’t see him anymore.
It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.
In true Victoria fashion, she’d taken the blame when her dad was to blame, not her.
And she didn’t deserve to be blamed now either.
Not for leaving her mother for barely thirty minutes that night sixteen years ago or for getting questioned by the police today.
She was always bending over backwards and sacrificing everything to please a father who didn’t deserve her.
A man who was probably blasting her right now for something that wasn’t even her fault.
Cillian couldn’t let her face the bully alone. Not this time.
He would do what he should’ve done sixteen years ago. He left his jeep and stalked to the front door.
He reached for the handle, and it opened. Great. Victoria had left it unlocked.
He stalked into the foyer that brought back vague memories of the few times he’d been allowed inside. The times Victoria had the courage to sneak him in when her dad was away. And that one night when her mom had wanted to meet Cillian, and Victoria’s dad had caught them.
The white marble floor and open space looked even colder and emptier than before. Seemed like some of the decorations Victoria’s mother had put up were missing now.
“May I help you with something?” A feminine voice drew his attention to the staircase on the left.
A petite young woman with long brown hair stood on the bottom steps of the staircase by the wall, watching him.
Her body skimming black dress dipped low at the neckline and cut off at her thighs, leaving little for him to imagine of her figure.
If he’d wanted to. But he had an elegant woman and a much more important mission on his mind.
“Did you see where Victoria went?”
The girl left the staircase and walked toward him, her high heels or her own effort swaying her hips side to side.
He stifled an eye roll at the obvious attempt to attract him. “I’m in a hurry.”
“You know Victoria?” She tilted her head as she stopped two feet in front of him and looked him up and down. The surprise in her tone matched the way she raised her eyebrows as her brown eyes lifted to his face.
“Yes. She went to talk to her father. Do you know where she is?”
The woman shrugged one bare shoulder. “I couldn’t say for sure.
” She bit her full, lipstick lined lower lip.
“I’d be happy to wait with you.” The way she dragged up her mascara-loaded eyelashes was probably supposed to be attractive.
But Victoria had made him immune to such artificial ploys.
Who was this girl, anyway, and why was she in the Westons’ house?
Oh, wow. “Are you Treese?” He stared down at her, searching for any trace of the chubby cheeked little girl who’d run around the house with her brother, Robert.
She blinked those eyelashes, but without flirtation this time. “Yes.”
“I’m Cillian Doherty. Victoria’s b—” He wished. If only he could call himself her boyfriend as he had the first time he’d met her siblings. “Her friend from high school.”
“Oh.” Treese’s mouth dropped open slightly as she scanned him with a far more innocent expression, her brow furrowed as if trying to recall him.
A raised voice—a man—reached the foyer. Seemed like it came from the hallway to the right. “Is that your dad?”
“Uh-huh.” She tapped her fingertip against her bottom lip as she stared at Cillian.
“Thanks.” He took off in the direction of the yelling. The voice led him to a closed door. And the voice he still remembered, bursting through the heavy carved wood.