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“I have to tell you something, Scotlyn.” Someone’s dead. I can tell from his tone. I’ve been around death my entire life; I recognize the shift in the atmosphere.
“One more minute.” I glance at him over my shoulder. “Just one more minute to believe whomever you are about to tell me isdead, isn’t.” Because I'm positive it’s going to be Libby. My best friend. The sister I never had.
My dear, sweet Libby.
And it’s all my fault.
Chapter 8
Jax
Iknew she would figure it out. Scotlyn is too damn smart not to see what’s right in front of her face. “Do you ever put a projector screen up on the side of the barn in the summer for movie nights?”
Frowning at the question, I recognize it for what it is. A distraction. “We haven’t, no.”
“I bet the girls would love it. Make beds in the back of the pickups, have a bunch of snacks, and put Encanto or Moana on the screen. It would be wonderful.” I can almost imagine it. “Or Hocus Pocus in the fall. I bet they’d love that.”
“You sound like you have experience.” Leaning her head against the cool glass, she nods.
“In the back of my Uncle King’s house is this huge rose garden. My mom and aunts spent a lifetime creating a magical wonderland. One year, when I was about eight or nine, my Uncle Luther got the idea to create an outdoor theatre. Aria, Hadley, Lake, and I would spend all day out there watching Frozen, Cinderella, or any other movie where we could sing and dance.”
Pressing my front to her back, I hold her hips and breathe into the top of her head. She’s so much tinier than me; I easily wrap around her.
“Libby and I-” Her voice catches and breaks my heart. “Libby and I spent the summer doing the same thing at home while practicing for our last show.” Spinning in my arms, she remains silent, but her tears flow like a waterfall. “We won’t get to do that again.”
Fuck.I hate seeing her cry. Pulling her in close, I hold her head to my chest as I rub soothing circles along her back. “I’m so sorry, sunshine. So, fucking sorry.” Her head nods, but she doesn’t say anything.
“Did she suffer?” Not a question I wish to answer.
“You don’t need to think about that.” As soon as the words are out, I feel her pulling away from me.
“Yes, Jaxson, I do. She was my best friend. My sister. The best person I knew. I need to know everything.” Anger darkens her eyes.
Cupping her cheeks in my hands, I lift her head to stare into her eyes. Pressing my forehead to hers, I clasp her tight. “Yeah, sunshine, she was tortured.” I’d have lied, but she would have seen right through me.
Grasping my wrists tightly in her delicate hands, she belts out a tortured scream filled with every ounce of agony she feels. I’m sure everyone in the house can hear her. As her body begins to drop to the ground, I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to my bed.
Crawling in beside her, I hold her as tight as I can, allowing her to feel everything she needs to. Her entire body shakes with her tears as she cries and screams out her frustration.
“I’ve got you, sunshine. I’ve got you.” And I’m never going to let her go. I know her dad and brother have been talking abouttaking her home with them, sorting everything out from there. I can’t let them.
I won’t let her go.
“I’m sorry.” She sniffles, glancing up at me.
“For what?” She is the last person who should apologize to anyone.
“Falling apart. I don’t do that.”
“I think you can have a pass this time.” Her faint smile shoots straight through my heart.
Sitting up, she turns to face me, legs crossed, as she plays with the hem of my shirt. “I spoke to my mom tonight.”
“Oh yeah?” From what I’ve gathered, the two are quite close. “Bet she was relieved to hear your voice.”
“Yeah. I needed to hear hers too.” Gripping one of her thighs, I drag Scotlyn over me. Settling her on top of me, thighs spread on either side of my hips, I can already feel my dick growing, and from the way she bites her lip, I know she does too.
“They want you to go home,” I say as a distraction for myself.
