Read Online Losing Nuka (Litmus Book 1) by Kayla Howarth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kayla Howarth
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he says, leading me back into the hallway and through the maze that is this house.
He leads me to a formal dining room on the other side of the house. Evidently, I’m the first one to arrive, but my mother’s right behind me.
“Jonas should be here any minute,” she says, taking a seat at the end of the table.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Brett says, making his exit.
“Sit,” my mother says, gesturing to the chair to her left.
When I sit down to join her, a tall, thin, greying man enters and kisses my mother on the cheek. He looks over at me and continues to walk around to my chair. He holds out his hand for me to shake.
“You must be Nuka.” His voice and smile is friendly, but his eyes are cold.
All I can bring myself to do is nod in return.
“I’m Jonas Dalton. It’s nice to meet you.” He lets go of my hand and makes his way to the head of the table. He looks to my mother and gives her a small head nod, as if they’re having some telepathic conversation.
“So what are your plans? Do you have any?” my mother asks.
“Plans?” I ask.
“For a job, where to live?” she asks.
“Well … I … uh,” I stutter.
“Jonas and I were discussing it, and we would love it if you could stay with us until you figure out what you want to do. We may even have a job for you. If that’s what you want?”
“A job? Umm … I don’t need—”
“So what is it that you want? Money?” Jonas asks.
“I just want to get to know you,” I say quietly.
Jonas scoffs. “And how do you plan on supporting yourself? We can provide you with a bed and food, but you still need a wage to live on.”
“But—”
“I want to get to know you too, but Jonas …” She looks at Jonas and then back at me. “Sorry … we fear that you’re here for another reason.”
“You think I’m after your money,” I state, not question.
“Well, you have to look at it from our perspective,” she continues. “You come from a middle-class, working family. They’re upper middle class, but still middle class. They’re influential people, yes, but they’re not exactly—”
“How do you know who my family are?”
“We had to check your story out,” Jonas answers. “Brett got us all the information we needed.”
“Brett?”
“He’s good at what he does,” my mother says. “We had to make sure you were who you said you were. That you really are my Lavender.”
My brow furrows. How did Brett get all of my information?
“DNA test,” Jonas says, as though he could hear what I was thinking.
I’m still confused until I realise … “My toothbrush.”
Jonas nods.
Anger starts to build up inside of me. I try to squash it down, but it just sits in my chest, making my breaths heavy.
“I’m not after your money,” I say as calmly as I can manage.
Great. Instead of letting the anger take over, tears have come out. I try to subtly wipe them away, but my mother’s stare burns into me.
“Could you leave us a minute, Jonas?”
“Sure. Maybe I’ll go have dinner with Sasha, wherever that girl is. It’ll give you two time to really talk. I’ll tell the kitchen we’ll be eating separately.”
After Jonas leaves, we sit in silence: me staring at the table, my mother staring at me.
“I’m sorry about ambushing you like that,” she finally says. “You have to understand our position in this. You literally turn up in the middle of the night claiming you’re my daughter, and you have nowhere to go. The daughter I gave up had blue eyes, yours are purple. I thought maybe … that maybe you were here for other reasons. I couldn’t even be sure you were mine.”
“That’s okay,” I mumble incoherently.
“When the test confirmed you are mine, I was so happy that I’d found you and that you were here. But then Jonas pointed out that the DNA test didn’t mean you weren’t after something, and the fact you have nowhere to live … well—”
“I only don’t have anywhere to live because I haven’t
He leads me to a formal dining room on the other side of the house. Evidently, I’m the first one to arrive, but my mother’s right behind me.
“Jonas should be here any minute,” she says, taking a seat at the end of the table.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Brett says, making his exit.
“Sit,” my mother says, gesturing to the chair to her left.
When I sit down to join her, a tall, thin, greying man enters and kisses my mother on the cheek. He looks over at me and continues to walk around to my chair. He holds out his hand for me to shake.
“You must be Nuka.” His voice and smile is friendly, but his eyes are cold.
All I can bring myself to do is nod in return.
“I’m Jonas Dalton. It’s nice to meet you.” He lets go of my hand and makes his way to the head of the table. He looks to my mother and gives her a small head nod, as if they’re having some telepathic conversation.
“So what are your plans? Do you have any?” my mother asks.
“Plans?” I ask.
“For a job, where to live?” she asks.
“Well … I … uh,” I stutter.
“Jonas and I were discussing it, and we would love it if you could stay with us until you figure out what you want to do. We may even have a job for you. If that’s what you want?”
“A job? Umm … I don’t need—”
“So what is it that you want? Money?” Jonas asks.
“I just want to get to know you,” I say quietly.
Jonas scoffs. “And how do you plan on supporting yourself? We can provide you with a bed and food, but you still need a wage to live on.”
“But—”
“I want to get to know you too, but Jonas …” She looks at Jonas and then back at me. “Sorry … we fear that you’re here for another reason.”
“You think I’m after your money,” I state, not question.
“Well, you have to look at it from our perspective,” she continues. “You come from a middle-class, working family. They’re upper middle class, but still middle class. They’re influential people, yes, but they’re not exactly—”
“How do you know who my family are?”
“We had to check your story out,” Jonas answers. “Brett got us all the information we needed.”
“Brett?”
“He’s good at what he does,” my mother says. “We had to make sure you were who you said you were. That you really are my Lavender.”
My brow furrows. How did Brett get all of my information?
“DNA test,” Jonas says, as though he could hear what I was thinking.
I’m still confused until I realise … “My toothbrush.”
Jonas nods.
Anger starts to build up inside of me. I try to squash it down, but it just sits in my chest, making my breaths heavy.
“I’m not after your money,” I say as calmly as I can manage.
Great. Instead of letting the anger take over, tears have come out. I try to subtly wipe them away, but my mother’s stare burns into me.
“Could you leave us a minute, Jonas?”
“Sure. Maybe I’ll go have dinner with Sasha, wherever that girl is. It’ll give you two time to really talk. I’ll tell the kitchen we’ll be eating separately.”
After Jonas leaves, we sit in silence: me staring at the table, my mother staring at me.
“I’m sorry about ambushing you like that,” she finally says. “You have to understand our position in this. You literally turn up in the middle of the night claiming you’re my daughter, and you have nowhere to go. The daughter I gave up had blue eyes, yours are purple. I thought maybe … that maybe you were here for other reasons. I couldn’t even be sure you were mine.”
“That’s okay,” I mumble incoherently.
“When the test confirmed you are mine, I was so happy that I’d found you and that you were here. But then Jonas pointed out that the DNA test didn’t mean you weren’t after something, and the fact you have nowhere to live … well—”
“I only don’t have anywhere to live because I haven’t
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