“Those pesky voices?”
Relief ripples through him. It stabs my heart.
“You get it.”
I really don’t. But instinct is screaming at me to keep him calm. Keep him talking. Treading carefully so as not to spook him, I continue running my fingers through his hair.
“Does Seba get it too?”
“I think so.”
What Seba said during our fight last night comes back to me.He’s going through something.And here I thought he was bullshitting me. Of course, Seba is honest to a fault.
My stomach tangles into fucking knots.
“What about your friends from before you moved to Fort Manor?”
“What friends?” He scoffs, rolling off me onto his back. “Everyone called me crazy like Mom.”
I’m going to throw up. Or cry. Or both. I curve into his side and hold the hand resting on his stomach. It takes everything in me to hide the tremor in my voice as I whisper, “Fuck ‘em.”
He laughs— it’s beautiful and breaking my heart. Tears threaten to fall. My smile falters. But he doesn’t notice because he’s spaced out again. So I reach for my phone and shoot off an SOS to the only other person who might know what to do.
Forty
SEBA
Dust stingsmy eyes as I plop another heavy box labeled “Camp Christ” onto the dank carpet of the chapel storage room. When I took this job, I didn’t expect to be doing manual labor. Or to be instructed over the phone to unload a truck full of boxes after hours. Boxes that I have been strictly prohibited from opening. As tempting as it is, I’m not jeopardizing my job on day one.
Although Iamcurious. Maybe a little weary too. Whatever is packed inside weighs a fuckton. My back and arms are aching. Sweat soaks my clothes. I’m getting chewed up by mosquitoes every time I step outside. I’ve been doing this for at least an hour and I’m ready to get the fuck out of here.
I almost ignored the call. Mom and Declan had burst into the house first thing this morning, launching me into full-blown panic mode because mystepbrotherwas snoring peacefully in my bednaked. Thankfully, I didn't have to explain anything to our parents (Christ almighty) since they didn’t come upstairs while I was scooping up Cade and depositing him in his bomb site of a bedroom.
There was no time to discuss what we did last night or how we’re moving forward, but I know he feels it too— thismonumental shift between us. There’s no ignoring it. No turning back. And it fucking terrifies me because no matter which way I spin it, I lose. It’s either my church, my new job, my family, any chance with Andrea, possibly even my spot on the FMU team, or I losehim.
The even scarier part?
Losing him might kill me.
So yeah, I took the call as a scapegoat to figure my shit out.
It’s not going so well.
My phone chirps and my heart leaps. Then drops into my ass when I open it.
Andrea:
I need your help. It’s Cade. Something’s wrong.
I don’t even bother typing a response.
She picks up on the second ring.
“Where is he?”
A sigh. “With me. He’s… kinda in and out.”
I’m already booking it for the exit. “I’m on my way.”
