Chasing Dragonflies by Tee Smith Read Free Book Online

to rush though okay? We'll all be here as much as we can. Asha can't work for a while yet, so she will be here too.”
    “And Trick?”
    “Yeah and Trick,” Xavier huffed out a laugh. “Sorry we didn't tell you about that earlier. I meant too, we just got caught up with all the discharge stuff and organising the funerals. He's alright...don't tell him I said that though, okay?”
    She let out a dry laugh, “Of course....I miss him Xave…is that wrong?”
    Xavier looked at her scrunching his eyebrows. “Who? Patrick?”
    Letting out a long breathe, “No, Dad.”
    Xaviers voice raised, “Maddie, how can you even?”
    “I know, but he is all I had for a long time Xave—he loved me.” She shook her head, “I don't expect you to understand.”
    “Madd...”
    “I mean, I missed you and Mum for a long time, but after a while, Dad became all I had in the world. I was reliant on him. I know he did the wrong thing and all that, but...” she trailed off and looked around the room, paying extra attention to the cobwebs in the corner. Thinking she must get to cleaning them. Still looking away she shared, “the psychologist said it was normal for me to feel like this. She said lots of people who go through similar experiences feel like this.”
    “I guess she knows what she's talking about then huh?”
    “Hmm...maybe.”
    “So what do you want to do in the near future?”
    “I don't know. Get used to being here,” she said looking around the room. “Get used to life again I suppose.”
    “There are some legalities to sort out, but if you want to stay in the house, I can't imagine it would be a problem.”
    “Well it's not like I have anywhere else to go.”
    “What about the shed?”
    She let out a bitter laugh. “I'm not going back there, Xavier.”
    “No, that's not what I meant,” he cringed, obviously realising what he had just said. “I meant do you want me to arrange to have it torn down? It's all still taped off at the moment, but once the police have finished doing what they need to do, I can get someone in to demolish it.”
    Maddie had not really thought about it. It was a whole other word away to her, not right in her back yard. “I don't know, give me some time to think about it yeah?”
    “Yeah whatever you want sis',” he placed a kiss on top of her head and raised to his feet. “Asha rang for pizza, it should be here soon, come out and join us in the kitchen when you're ready yeah?”
    “Yeah, thanks Xavier.”
    He walked toward her bedroom door and tried the light switch. “Better fix that for you huh?”
    “Yeah, hey Xave'”
    “Yeah?”
    “It's good to be home. I missed you.”
    “Missed you, more than you could ever know kiddo,” he gave her a sad smile and walked out of the room. Leaving her alone with her thoughts once more.

Chapter 6
    Xavier had organised the funeral for their parents. Due to the police investigation and Maddie being in hospital it was decided to wait until she was discharged. It had taken two weeks for the coroner to release the bodies anyway.
    Maddie was glad she did not have to deal with the funeral arrangements. Xavier had asked her a few times for her thoughts on different aspects. She had told him, to do whatever he wished, she knew that probably wasn't very helpful, but her whole world had just turned inside out and upside down.
    As she stood looking at her reflection in the mirror, she scrunched her limp hair and sighed. Once she had loved making herself pretty, going out to parties and such. That was before, when she had a different life. These past six years, she had no one to make herself pretty for. She was lucky if her dad brought her fresh clothes once a week. He never brought her deodorant and she had gone years without decent shampoo. At least she was allowed to brush her teeth, which she was grateful for, but she would need to see a dentist sometime soon.
    “You look great,” came Patrick's voice from the doorway causing her to jump in