AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pulled my lip through my teeth, surveying each face. Not even Declan or Calax knew about Nikolai. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of him or anything, but fear was a fickle thing. He was something whispered about in the dead of night. Safe. Protected.
“Nikolai,” I whispered at last. The boys blinked at me, various expressions crossing their faces. The general consensus seemed to be confusion.
“Who’s Nikolai?” Asher asked gently. I swallowed, images of my brother flashing through my mind.
“He’s my brother,” I answered at last. “My younger brother.” I pulled at the frayed edges of the couch as if I suddenly found it very interesting. “He’s autistic.” Taking a deep breath, I began to tell the story for the first time. “He was six when he was first diagnosed, and I was ten. Nik had always been a strange boy, but I always attributed it to shyness more than anything. He didn’t talk often, and he always had headphones over his ears. He worked with a specialist named Nancy.” I paused, watching my fingers unravel the bottom of the couch. Life was just as fragile; it was a thread, and one pull could completely destroy it.
“My parents were so embarrassed of him. I remembered that they would always keep him locked in his room whenever they had friends over. They eventually decided that he would be better somewhere else, with someone else. He went to live with Nancy and her family in Atlanta.” I wiped at the tears escaping my eyes. “I would get to see him on holidays, and I would talk to him on the phone whenever I could, but it wasn’t the same. We grew apart. But you guys have to understand that he’s my little brother, and I would do anything for him. So I am going to Atlanta, and I am going to find my brother and bring him home.”
The boys were silent yet again as they absorbed my story. Tam was biting on his fingernail, an indication that he was distressed with the story he had heard. I had the distinct feeling that Tam himself suffered from a mental illness, though he had never actually admitted it to me, and I didn’t press. Every morning, if I were to arrive before the sun fully rose, I would catch Tam in the kitchen counting the cups in the cupboards. Every morning, he would count every cup. Every night, he would count every brick on the wall.
He didn’t think I noticed; I would never tell him differently.
Fallon’s expression was grave, no doubt thinking of the implications of my announcement. He must’ve seen the resolve on my face, the determination. There was no changing my mind on this issue.
“You look fucking comfortable,” Ryder sneered to Calax. “How are you not freaking out?”
I had wondered that same question. Calax, out of all of them, was the most protective of me. I didn’t know if it was because of our relationship, or the fact that he felt the need to atone for the years of suffering I had endured under his nose, not that I blamed him. Either way, his sudden impassiveness was startling.
In answer to Ryder’s question, Calax shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter to me. Whether she goes or not, I’m staying with her.”
I blinked.
“What? You can’t come with me! It could be dangerous!”
Reports were continually coming in. The death count had been steadily increasing; the amount of infected had also increased.
“And you think I’m going to let you go alone?” Calax asked in disbelief. He snorted. “Please.”
“Callie...”
“No, baby girl. You don’t get to argue about this. We’ll go together, and we’ll get your brother back. I love you. I could never leave you alone.”
Ronan, who was sitting beside me, stiffened at something Calax said. I wondered if it was because he said we would go together, or if it was because Calax had admitted his love to me. I noticed that Declan’s eyes had narrowed on Calax’s face as well, hands clenched.
“You’ve given us a lot to think about,” Fallon said at last. He folded his hands in his lap, thought better of it, and rested them on the armrests. “Calax, are you sure of your decision?”
Calax nodded.
“And Addie? Are you sure about it?”
I nodded as well. It seemed as if we were doing the silent, brooding routine.
“Okay.” Fallon clapped his hands together, ignoring the protests from the other guys. “Calax, why don’t you and Addie grab some food. There’s some things we need to discuss as a team.”
I met Calax’s stare, but he looked just as baffled as I felt. What could they possibly be discussing? Were they going to stop me from going?
There would be a lot of asses getting kicked if that was the case.
Frowning, I rose from my seat and grabbed Calax’s hand. I would use Calax as a shield if the need arose.
* * *
Declan
I watched Addie and Cal walk into the kitchen, fingers interlocked.
