Burning Bridges Read Online Free PDF

my tracks and the coins clinked in my pocket. “ You saw her where? With who? ”
    Adamo scratched his head and rolled his lazy eye. “ I think his name is Simon or something like that… O r maybe it was Silas. ” His thick eyebrows knitted together. “ Yeah, I think his name is Silas. ”
    “ Silas who? ” Fear had me by the throat and I had to remind myself for the thousandth time that she wasn ’ t my daughter; I shouldn ’ t have cared so much.
    “ Don ’ t know his last name. Sorry. ”
    I heaved a sigh and continued to walk , Feven now on my mind along with everything else. ‘ Stressed ’ didn ’ t even begin to describe how I was feeling. It was like the girl didn ’ t want to be found .
    A few blocks away from the house, Adamo and I both froze at the sight of the door hanging off its hinges. He looked at me as if for explanation, but I was just as clueless as he was. Though, I did have my suspicions to some extent and they weren ’ t good . I ran my fingers through my hair and contemplated just walking away from it this time. If I ignored it, I wouldn ’ t have to acknowledge the truth. But sadly, things always had a way of finding its way back to me. I would regret walking out on them, I was sure.
    The day ha d just turned from a muddy grey to a ruthless black .
    Leaving Ad amo behind, I ran for the house and my eyes immediately searched for Misty in the dilapidated room. I could hear her crying, but couldn ’ t pinpoint from where it was coming. I grew nervous—frantic— as I searched for my scared little sister.
    I followed her rasping breath to the other side of the room and there, huddled into herself, was Misty. “ Hey, Mis, what ’ s the matter? ” As the words sl ipped from my mouth, a loud ruckus came from the room next door.
    “ It ’ s D addy, again, ” she mumbled. “ Milo... ”
    My heart fell to the pit of my stomach within seconds. I ’ d left them alone only because he said he could handle it. Now knowing that he very well couldn ’ t, I left Misty ’ s side and darted into the kitchen.
    My father stood with his back to me, but I could clearly see what he was so trained on. I looked around the room for Milo, but he wasn ’ t anywhere in sight.
    “ You ’ re home early, ” my father said. The bottle of alcohol in his hands shook furiously. The liquid thrashed against the side of the glass, unpredictable and toxic as its owner .
    “ Yeah. They wan ted the family time alone; the P rincess is spending time with her betroth ed . ” I moved into the room and took notice of the flipped chairs and broken plates. The cabinets that held the liquor remained ajar.
    “ I wanted that life for you, ” he said, his weeping making him hard to understand. “ Your mother and I wanted to make a bett er life fo r you, b ut we failed you , Ayden. ”
    And then it suddenly occurred to me. “ Where is Mother? ”
    He grew quiet, and as the silence conquered the minutes, I felt every grip of control I ’ d had mere seconds ago begin to slip.
    “ She ’ s gone to the market, ” he finally said.
    “ Alone? ” I sighed and cleared my head. The man was mad. “ And Milo? ” I walked fully into the room and began picking up the splintered chair s. Dirty dishes f illed the sink and the ripped linoleum scrapped the soles beneath my shoes . One bulb hung from the ceiling, but it was barely enough to bring light to this place .
    “ He... I don ’ t know. He left. ”
    I froze. “ What do you mean he left? ”
    “ He ’ s gone. ”
    “ Gone where! ” I sneered . “ What did he say? ”
    My father turned to face me then and his eyes were bloodshot. His posture was slung against the c ounter and his hair looked as if it hadn ’ t been washed for weeks. His eyes didn ’ t meet mine. “ He said he was going to fix this, but I don ’ t understand how anyone can fix this. ” He slumped to the ground and began to weep harder, the alcohol slipping from his hands and onto the kitchen