Chapter 51. Silent Treatment

Kieran has barely pulled up to the amber-lit territorial divide, tyres screeching as he slams the brakes. I hurtle out of the glossy van, brushing back tears as I run as fast as my legs will carry me, all the way down the well-beaten path, to the little cul-de-sac where my house is located. "Aly!" Raj's faint voice calls. "Wait up-- please!" It seems to be a normal afternoon at River Moon, but looks can be deceptive. The spring breeze flutters through the picturesque street, swaying the perfectly placed pot plants in our driveway. My set of keys to the house are stashed away somewhere in my abandoned suitcase, and without thinking, I kick the freshly painted front door several times with my steel-toed boots, until it comes flying off the hinges. "Dad!" I scream at the top of my lungs, stumbling into the living room. "Alanna?" His weak voice replies. "Is that you? Jerry-- move." There's an impromptu huddle aro