Kade sways on his feet, wants to cry andscreamuntil the titanium cracks and the glass shatters and the earth splits so the core will know he needs answers, truth,justice.He wants to scream until the lightning strikes this tower and all the lies are unmade.
‘I don’t know anything anymore.’
Riley’s resolve hardens.‘Knowthat I love you.That you’re my brother, my best friend, all I never knew of love.That’s real and it’s not ever gonna change.’
‘You’ve lied to me for seven years.’
‘I’ve tried to keep you alive and keep my promise.’
‘To who?’Kade grips his arms, fingers digging in, they’ll leave half-moon bruises for sure.‘Who did you promise, Riley?’
Those blue eyes are never wet, not like Kade’s.
Riley is Kade’s North.Iron StarisRiley.Riley is the compass Kade has always trusted to navigate the confines of his life within these walls.
‘Tell me please.’
‘It’ll hurt.’
‘Just tell me!’
Riley whispers, ‘Your little sister.’
Pain unlike anything strikes Kade’s solar plexus.
The urge to pass out is overwhelming, but Kade resists with all he has, clings to consciousness and lets Riley hold him up until they sit on the bed.
‘I’m sorry,’ Riley says, while Kade catches his breath, trembling.‘I really am.’
Kade nods, eyes closed.‘I know you are, but I…fuck,that hurt so bad.’
‘That’s what I feel when I try to tell you things.’
‘You could have written it down, you—’
‘You’d have forgotten.Any time you got close to figuring it out, she—’ The pain strikes again, so vicious that time that the pressure makes Kade’s nose trickle blood, pain in his skull impossibly tight.‘I’m sorry.I usually t-try to hold it back but I need you to feel it to understand.I’ve never lied toyou.’
‘Nothing is what I thought it was.’
‘I know.’
‘You were the one I looked to.’
Riley cups his face.‘I know that too.’
‘What was the promise you made to her?’
Riley glances to the side as he thinks.He doesn’t speak sign language like Kade can but everyone in Iron Star knows tactical hand signals so when he makes a single sign, Kade understands instantly.
Hide.
‘That was your promise?To hide her?’
‘She…’ He trails off, groaning softly as a fresh bout of pain comes over him, and Kade feels less of it that time but he’s starting to understand.‘I’m sorry.’
‘It’s OK.’Kade holds his hand.‘Whatcanyou tell me?’
Riley exhales raggedly, looks like he might cry.‘That I love you and I know I’ve done a bad job of it, but it was the best I could do.’
