Page 6 of Torn
“Maybe you two can work it out? It’s been a few months since you broke up; maybe she feels different now. Sometimes you have to lose something to appreciate it, ya know? She knows you were seeing Lisa. Maybe that made her open her eyes a little. Jealousy can be a great motivator.”
A grin spreads across his face. “You’re pretty smart, Kenz. But that ship has sailed and sunk. I don’t want someone who’s in love with someone else. Fuck that.”
Agreed. “I don’t blame you. You deserve way better than that. She’s stupid.”
It’s hard to love so many people, want to see them happy, but also not like them for the things they do. My mom would be disappointed in Sydni for chasing after my dad and for making Tor feel like he’s not good enough. I want to see my dad happy again, and while I admire him for staying committed to my mom, I wonder how long he’ll torture himself by not letting himself move on. I don’t want him to move on with Sydni, though. Not because I don’t like her, I do. But because it’s just too twisted. She’s his wife’s best friendandhis best friend’s ex.
I live in a deep, dark, perplexing sea of people. Some might be starfish, and some might be sharks. I just bob along on my little raft, watching and learning.
Rubbing my bare arms, I pull my knees up to my chest and watch as my father walks away from Sydni and takes his acoustic guitar to the gazebo to join the others playing some old rock songs. She doesn’t follow him.Good.
“You cold?”
“A little,” I answer. “Just when the breeze blows, it’s kinda chilly.”
He pulls off the gray hoodie he’s wearing over his T-shirt and hands it to me. “Here, put this on.”
I hesitate before accepting. “Then you’ll be cold.”
He frowns, like he’s too cool to feel the chill. “I’m fine. Put it on.”
Taking it from him, I slip it over my head, and shiver, but not from the cold. The heat from his body is still in the fabric of the sweatshirt, and it warms me like a hug. I push my hands through the sleeves that are way too long for me and roll up the cuffs.
“It’s huge. But thank you.”
“You look cute. Keep it. Add it to your growing collection.”
Laughing, I lean against his shoulder and he rests his head against mine for a few seconds before pulling away to finish off his beer.
I’ve been hoarding Tor’s things since I was a little girl. Mostly shirts, mugs, his old lighters, the faded denim jacket he wore in high school, a switchblade, some baseball caps, a leather belt, and other random stuff. I’ve taken all sorts of odd things that I fixated on and wanted to have, just because they were his. And he always let me have them.
He’s been collecting parts of me, too. I just didn’t know it yet.
CHAPTER 2
Kenzi—age five
Toren—age twenty
I can hear her crying before I even step through the door. And when I do, she bolts to me and I catch her as she throws herself into my arms. Her face is red, stained with tears, her green eyes bloodshot.
“Uncle Tor…” She gasps for breath between each word, tearing my heart out.
I wipe her cheeks with my thumbs. “What’s wrong, Angelcake?”
“My bunny! I looked everywhere and he’s gone. I think he’s on that fucking tour bus!”
Ah. The coveted stuffed bunny I gave her for her last birthday. She drags it everywhere with her.
I try not to laugh at her epic use of the wordfucking.
“Whoa. Kenzi… that’s a very bad word.” Her eyes meet mine defiantly and she says she doesn’t care.
I love her fire.
“I wonder where she learned that,” Ember says, glaring at me.
Kenzi pulls on my hair. “He’s gone, Uncle Tor. That’s all that matters.”