All Falls Down Read Online Free

side of her head against mine.
    We sit there for a long time, not speaking.
    "I'm glad you're here," she finally says.
    Here. Home. Or the closest thing I have to one.
    "Me too," I say and I think I actually mean that.
    I think.

 
    Chapter Two: Scars
     
    The black dress hanging in the closet is chic, elegant, and so not me. I stare at it as if it might bite me. I'm not sure it won't. Reaching for the hanger, I sigh, resigned to wearing it in the morning anyway. It's not like I have any other suitable options.
    "Lexi thinks Daddy was murdered," Kit announces.
    We're in the guesthouse, in my old room. Everything is exactly the same and yet it all seems different. Even out here, away from the overwhelming luxury of the mansion, I feel like an even bigger imposter than I did two years ago. I think I may blame him for that more than anything else.
    "What?" I stop, hanger in hand, when her words sink in.
    She's standing in front of the dresser, stroking her pinky across the ceramic Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland that she gave me for my seventeenth birthday. It's my favorite movie.
    Kit turns to me, her eyes swimming in pain again. "The brakes on his car were–" Her bottom lip quivers. "Lexi thinks they were tampered with."
    "Oh, Kit." I drop the dress to the bed and close the distance between us. "I'm so sorry."
    My mind spins while I hug her. Who would want to kill Matthew? He was always so nice, so friendly. He and Caitlyn took me in without question and were so kind to me. He treated me as if I was one of his daughters.
    I can't wrap my mind around the possibility that someone intentionally harmed him.
    I don't even know how to begin.
    Kit clings to me, drawing deep, shuddering breaths. I want to tell her that it's okay to cry, but I know how ineffectual tears are. They don't solve anything. They just burn. God knows, I've learned that lesson well in the last few weeks.
    And yet, I still cry every time I'm alone.
    I imagine Kit does, too.
    At least she has a right to cry though. My… problems… are of my own making.
    Frigid.
    I've never hated a word before, but I think I may hate that one.
    "I think… I think Lexi might be in danger, Savannah," Kit whispers, her voice cracking on my name.
    I think carefully, not sure how to approach this. Not even sure what's really going on, or if Kit's imagining things, her grief forcing her to search for connections that just aren't there.
    "What makes you think that?" I finally ask, urging her toward the bed.
    She sits and draws her legs up, wrapping her arms around them.
    "I heard her and Jared talking to Daddy a few weeks ago. She'd been in an accident. She told him that the guy who hit her was hired to do so. She sounded so scared." Kit's eyes take on a faraway glint. She rests her cheek against her knees. "She started crying and told Jared that she–" Kit stops speaking and shakes her head. "She's been so secretive. She won't tell me what's going on. She won't go anywhere by herself and doesn't want us going anywhere alone. Before he died, Daddy hired Jared's brother to help Stewart with security, but I don't think it's helped her any. Jared tries to calm her down, but I don't think that's working, either." Kit curls in on herself. "I'm scared."
    Matthew was murdered?
    I'm suddenly confused and scared, too.
    Crawling onto the bed with Katrina, I wrap my arm around her shoulders, offering what meager comfort I can. She leans into my side. I've never seen her so fragile, so small before. She's always been so vivacious and friendly. It's frightening to see how much this has hurt her.
    "Do the police have any suspects?" I ask.
    "I don't know," she whispers, her breath stirring pieces of my hair. "I tried to talk to Lexi about it yesterday, but she just told me that everything's fine. That I should focus on getting through the funeral tomorrow and not worry. That Jared will take care of us." Kit exhales, her body shuddering.
    I want to ask how he's supposed to take care of