Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
“Dude,” Beltraine barked. “That was Mads. Our friend. I get that it was your sister’s blood on the floor but keep perspective. We didn’t befriend Maddy because your sister told you to. You were the one who didn’t want us hanging out with her. Remember? You said she was weird. Well, I like her weirdness. She’s fucking cool.”
Steele turned that skewer on his friend. Glowering.
“Bell, man.” Axel nudged him.
“No. He needs a fucking wake-up call. I’m not vouching for your sister. She’s fucked in the head. We know what Maddy really did, but the story should stand.”
What… My eyes darted to Logan, who looked just as surprised. This was a turn I’d not expected.
“What are you saying?” Steele hissed at him. He jerked forward a step, but Sam was there. She held up a hand so he wouldn’t knock into her, and at the contact, he made another hissing sound, wrenching away from her. He backed into the altar, making it shake and the two glass jars that’d been on top fell to the floor. They rolled over, stopping in front of Sam. She bent down to pick one up.
She said, so gently, “It’s a candle. I think we should light it for James.”
Her eyes met mine for a fleeting second.
My throat swelled up. “My dad would love that. You can do the other for—”
“My daughter.”
Everyone looked in Logan’s direction, taken off guard by his sudden hoarse exclamation. He cleared his throat, a brief apology crossing his face for Sam. “Sorry. I know you were going to say your mom, but I tend to avoid these places. Since I’m here… I think Taylor would appreciate it.”
She picked up the other, handing it to Logan. “You’re right. We’ll light the one for James and my mother. The second one for your daughter.”
I moved to the back, content to be there and watch Sam and Logan do their thing. Part of this was legit. They really were lighting those candles for the ones we’ve lost, but they were also doing this as a wake-up call to get through to Steele. He was the one blocked by his rage. Seeing his sister bleeding out on the floor tore out a primal instinct to protect his loved one.
Welcome to the club.
I studied Beltraine and Axel, who were watching Sam and Logan as if they were new animals in a zoo. Both seemed mystified by this simple act of lighting a candle for lost family members. But, fuck. I got it then, what they were seeing that I didn’t think Sam and Logan were even taking into account.
They were witnessing two adults, both parents, express love and kindness.
Was this really such a new thing to them? They must’ve witnessed other adults express… This was different. This was personal. This wasn’t a show. This wasn’t fake. There was genuine love being expressed from Sam and from Logan. And as they lit the candles, I watched the boys hold their breaths.
Beltraine blinked a few times, his eyes a little glassy.
Axel leaned against the wall, one of his hands in his pockets. He lifted the other to drape around Beltraine’s shoulder. The closeness between the two was visibly evident. It seemed they’d adopted Steele into their group so he was just as close, so I wasn’t surprised to see him glancing at them a few times.
When Logan placed the candle on the altar, Beltraine was enraptured. He let out a soft sigh, his head angling down so it rested against Axel’s, who shifted to stand a little closer so they were more comfortable. Beltraine gave Steele a brief grin. He lifted up the corner of his mouth, letting it fall just as quick as it appeared. If it was meant to be reassuring, I didn’t know, but whatever hold that’d been on Steele began to crumble.
His shoulders slumped down.
His head went further.
He raised his fists to press into his face, and as he hunched further over, his shoulders began to shake. We all heard a sob come from him.
Sam froze before glancing at me.
I gave her a nod, gesturing to her brother.
“Hey.” She pulled him to her, and as if in slow motion, they began to sit down on the floor. Sam held out her hand, the one with the candle. Logan took it quickly, putting it on the altar next to the one for his daughter. By then, Steele was sobbing into Sam’s shoulder.
We all stood and watched.
I didn’t know the reasons Steele was crying, but the sounds he was making were gut-wrenching. He was letting himself be exposed in this room, raw in a way I’d only experienced with my family. His friends weren’t holding back their tears. Both boys had tears streaming down their faces. They weren’t ashamed of them or brushing them away. They were just letting them flow.