I rode in Lachlan's SUV with Vera, Blythe and Evan while the others rode with Holden. I was glad that I didn't have to go back to my old dorm because I was more than scared that I'd run into Jenna and I really didn't have time to explain anything to that girl.

Being in Lachlan's car once more brought back a steamy memory and I let myself slip into it to distract myself from the lion's den that I was about to walk into. I conjured up images of his hands sliding across my body, his chilled hands causing bumps to rise up along my skin from his touch, not just from the cold.

I blushed as I recalled his domineering nature, something that I'd yet to see again after that day in the car, probably because he was trying to be gentle with me, but what Lachlan didn't understand was that sometimes I needed gentle, but other times it was the farthest thing from what I needed.

The car flew over a particularly large bump and jostled me out of my distractive thoughts, because that's exactly what they were- a distraction. From Ian, from my birth father, the fact that I had almost died not twenty-four hours earlier.

It was nearly seven in the evening when all was said and done, though the day felt as if it had dragged on for ages.

The snow was piled up and pushed to the sides of the road as we traversed though the slushy streets, and my heart was racing about as fast as the speed of the vehicle that was taking me to a confrontation with my mother.

"Hey, you okay?"  Lachlan's concerned eyes met mine after his question.

"Yeah, as okay as I can be right now, I'm just nervous."

"I can go inside with you if you need me to go with you..."

I thought about his offer, but I realized that this was something I needed to on my own.

"I'll be fine. Just give me five minutes," I told him, exiting the SUV into the cold and brittle New York winter air.

A few crunches into the snow later and I was to the front door, and I was more than glad that it was already unlocked otherwise I would have had to call my mother and ask her to open the door for me which I definitely didn't want, especially considering how hard I was trying to avoid her.

My snow covered boots tracked in melting snow onto the pristine marble floors, the glistening and gleaming white tile becoming streaked with muddy ice, and I couldn't have thought of a better analogy to describe what was going on with me than that image of something once so clean becoming wretched and streaked by dirt.

I scrambled up the stairs as quickly as I could, and darted into my room to grab a tote bag from the top of my closet.

A few minutes and an entire bag packed later, I was on my way out. I stopped to absentmindedly touch a family picture I'd had framed on my wall, and it was so out of place with the rest of my life in that moment, like a time capsule when everything in life was just...okay. Not good or bad, just fine. I could use something fine in my life, instead it was all just okay.

When were things ever going to be great?

I huffed out a breath of air and almost slipped on the slick tile underfoot as my mother's form appeared in front of the doorway at the foot of the stairs.

Gulping in a pained breath, I started forward towards her, her expensive heels tapping as she impatiently waited for me.

Her hair was perfectly coiffed in a curled updo, the golden curls shining in the yellow light of the chandelier above the foyer. A black evening gown clung to her curves and a diamond necklace adorning her chest glinted in the light. She was late for a gala, and she didn't look happy about it.

"Detention? Skipping detention? Four tardies and two absences, a failed and missed math test, not to mention your failing English grade. You've done virtually no work since you started school two weeks ago, what do you have to say for yourself?"

I loved when parents used the 'what do you have to say for yourself' question. It was like they were just begging for something to be thrown back in their face.

"I'm going to California tonight. For Ian's funeral."

Shame swarmed in her eyes for a few flickering moments until the fire came back, burning in those deep blue depths.

"You cannot leave the state, Katrina. I forbid it."

"Oh yeah, just like you forbade me from finding my birth parents? Well guess what, I did it anyway. And I know that you know. And it's disgusting that you kept it from me."

As the shock appeared on her face, I prepared myself to leave, edging around her and opening the door while she gathered her bearings. Upon noticing the two vehicles waiting for me to begin my departure, she cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Are you serious right now Kate? Get your ass back in this house so we can have a proper discussion. There's things that you don't know that I need to tell you, and-"

"What, like my birth father is a monster? Like my adoptive one is any better? Like how my birth father murdered my real mom? Like how you didn't care enough at all about me to ever think to tell me the truth, instead of chasing after this ideal of a perfect family while you all treated me like I was just some charity case you had to overcompensate for? Yes, I wanted to find my real parents, it just turns out that they both were an even bigger disappointment than you or dad ever were."

I couldn't find it within me to feel bad about the tears swimming in her eyes, or the fact that she braced herself on the doorframe after my heated words spewed at her in haste.

"While all of those things are true, you still can't leave. Your birth father, he's still out there and he's dangerous. I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but you cannot go anywhere!"

"You think I don't already know that? Why do you think I'm going to California in the first place? So he doesn't follow me right back here. Anywhere I am, other people are in danger, and it's their choice if they want to follow me into the fire, but I won't put innocent people in danger by my being here. I'm going to Ian's funeral, and I'm going to make sure that I'm safe, you don't have to worry about me. You and dad have done enough with keeping me in the dark."

"We didn't keep you in the dark to hurt you!"

"Oh yeah? Because from where I'm standing, I'm pretty damn hurt. Wait let me guess, it was to 'protect me'?"

"Yes! Of course it was to protect you! How could we tell you what that monster had done? What he did to your mother..."

"You could have sat me down when I was old enough and told me. That's how. And don't even act like dad ever cared for one second, he wanted me to go to California to pimp me out to his prospective business partner's son, and when that relationship wasn't beneficial to him anymore, he sent me back home. I know about the type of business he does, what kind of person he is, and I know that you're involved in it, too."

Her face was a mixture of contempt, hurt, and resignation.

"Your father may be a lot of things, but he's better than what you would have been stuck with if we hadn't intervened. There's a lot more to the story Katrina."

"Then TELL ME! If there's so much secrecy, then why not tell me? Keep me from going, tell me something that will change my mind."

She fished for something to tell me out of thin air, but I could tell that she was at a loss for words.

"That's what I thought."

I turned from her, just as a handsome man came into view, dressed in a tuxedo and complete with a white pocket square. His dark hair sprinkled with grey was gelled to perfection and the small amount of wrinkles and laugh lines indicated his age.

"Katrina? It's so good to finally meet you. I'm Jessie Suarez, your mother's date to the charity gala tonight benefitting domestic abuse survivors."

I gave the man in front of me a tight lipped smile, a single nod and veered as far away from him as I possibly could. There was something about his dark brown eyes that had me unnerved.

"Nice to meet you," he called out as I strode away from the elegantly dressed couple and slid into the front seat of the awaiting SUV.

"Did everything go okay? Who was that guy?"

I gave Lachlan a wounded look.

"Nobody. It went fine, I'm just ready to be there."

His hand found my knee and I relished in the comfort his touch gave me. I was going to need to lean on him a lot more in the coming days, I only hoped that he could handle the grief I was about to be suffocated in.