Semua Bab His Best Friend's Daughter: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Tor POV I let go of her hand for one second to pay the guy in the ice cream truck, and when I turned around she's gone. I stare around wildly, trying to find her in the crowded park. She was right next to me a second ago."Kyra!"My heart pounds faster and my chest tightens when she doesn't come to me. She's nowhere. She's gone.I ran to the other side of the truck, but she's not there."Kyra!!" The wind whips my hair into my face and when I shake it back, there she is, standing innocently right in front of me."Where were you? You can't do that, Kyra. You have to stay by me."She takes the ice cream cone from me and gives it a lick. "I just went over there for a second. There was a man with a cat on a leash.""I don't care if it was a monkey driving a car. You don't run away from me. Ever. Okay?"She puts her hand on her hip and rolls her eyes. "Monkeys can't drive, Uncle Tor."The way she's staring up at me, I swear she can see right into my soul and it rattles the hell out of me.

Kyra POVKyra ~ age twelveToren ~ age twenty-seven)"What's wrong?" He's towering over my bed, his faded leather jacket dusty from the ride he just came back from.I roll over onto my side, away from his stare, and pull my blanket up higher, almost covering my head."It's just my stomach."The weight of his body sinks the side of the bed as he sits beside me and his hand lightly touches my shoulder."Kyra? Are you sick?"Another cramp tears through my stomach. I'm pretty sure I'm dying. I want my mom. The last thing I want to do is talk about this with him.Grinding my teeth, I force myself to answer him."I'm fine. My stomach just hurts.""Did you eat something bad? Have you been throwing up?""No, Uncle Tor. Go away."A frustrated sigh comes from behind me."I'm the only one here, remember? I can't go away. Stop being like this and tell me what's wrong. Do you want me to take you to a doctor? I could call your grandmother...""Tor, no. Just leave me alone."I want to cry from the p

TOR POVKyra ~ Age FiveToren ~ Age TwentyMy little sister leans over the princess-shaped cake with a big smile and blows out her seven candles. Mom's dining room is filled with people—my aunts, uncles, cousins and brothers and a few little kids from Tesla's class. It's been six months since my father passed away and this is the first time I've seen most of the people in this room smile in a long time. Including myself.Tessie starts to open her presents, with Kyra sitting at her side, taking the discarded wrapping paper from her and shoving it in a big garbage bag, always the little neat freak. I wink at her across the room, and she waves at me."Tesla seems better," I say to my mom when I bring some plates into the kitchen to help her clean up."She's doing much better, but she still cries at night sometimes. She misses him a lot.""I know," I agree softly. "We all do."I help her load the dishwAiden. "We should be going soon. Sydni has a class in the morning, and I have to get Kyr

Tor moves closer, and the dog suddenly lurches into the traffic, attempting to run away. Cars honk and swerve and the dog freezes—right in the middle of the fast lane. My heart jumps into my throat as Tor dives at the dog, landing on top of him, then scoops him up into his arms and somehow manages to get both of them out of oncoming traffic.“Oh my God,” I whisper, tears streaming down my cheeks as I watch, completely stricken with panic as Tor stands between the lanes, the huge dog in his arms, trying to cross back to the shoulder where I’m waiting.I can’t take this anymore. I leave the truck and run out to the edge of the highway and wave my arms at the oncoming traffic, trying to get the cars to slow down, or stop. Why does no one care or stop to help? Can’t they see a person standing in the middle of the highway with an injured dog?No one stops.My tears mix with the rain as I stand there helplessly, begging cars to slow down.Finally, there’s about two car lengths of space in t

Five agonizing minutes pass while I sit on my bedroom floor and stare at my closet door.Kyra: Yes. Are you? I hope you washed that road rash on your hand and leg so you don't get infected.God. Why does she always try to take care of me?Me: I will.Kyra: Have you heard any news on the big fluffy dog?Me: Not yet.Kyra: I like him a lot. He just wanted love, even though he was hurt and lost. He reminds me of you.My chest contracts.Me: Ya think?Kyra: Yup.Me: I'm sorry I scared you.Kyra: You never scare me, Tor.Shit. Wrong answer, little girl. Wrong. Fucking. Answer.Kyra: Maybe you're scared.I want to throw my phone against the wall. I don't know what to say to that. I'm afraid to say anything because I don't trust anything about myself right now. This kid has always had a microscope right into my soul, and it's driving me mad.Am I scared?Yes. I'm petrified of what she's made me feel.Kyra: Everything is okay, Tor.My fingers are shaking as I type back on the tiny keyboard.M