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“Where are you?” There was fear in her voice.
“My house. Mom called. I thought she was in trouble, but it was a setup. She wasn’t even here when I got here. But he was. He didn’t want Cedar and me going to Manhattan. Said there was a plan in place, threatened Cedar.”
Sage’s voice was hard, but I felt her concern for me coming over the line. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I hit him, over and over. I broke bones. I killed him. He’s dead.” I looked over at my dead father. “Fuck, I killed him.”
“We are on our way. Brock, it’s going to be okay. Do you hear me? It’s going to be okay.”
“He had a gun,” I whispered.
“Jesus,” Sage hissed. “You’re not alone. Do you understand? We’ll get through this. I promise you.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t. We’re family. We’ll be right there.” She hung up before I could say anything else.
I waited, the minutes dragged on, then I heard the sound of footsteps, but it wasn’t Sage and Andrew, it was Dax. He took one look at the scene and said, “Well, fuck.”
It was all so surreal, my life taking a nosedive, playing out right in front of me, but I didn’t even feel like a participant. “What are you doing here?”
“Followed you.”
I looked over at my dad. “I killed him.”
“Yeah, and my bike is sitting right the fuck out front. Shit.” He pulled a hand through his hair. “You’ve got two options. Stay and go to jail, or come with us.”
“I called—”
He crossed the room, grabbing me by the shirt and throwing me up against the wall. “Who the fuck did you call?”
“My girl’s parents.”
He released me and stepped back. “They can’t help you with this,” he said dispassionately. “His blood is literally on your hands. You’re doing time. There’s no getting out of that even with your face looking like that.”
“Cedar.” What the fuck had I done?
“You want to put this on her, on her parents?”
It was slowly sinking in, what I had done.
“Make the decision, Brock. Now.”
What decision was there to make? She was going to be a designer, was going to set the world on fire. She didn’t need the baggage that came with me now. Her parents didn’t need to get wrapped up in my shit either. One moment, one fucking moment, and I lost the only thing in my life I wanted.
The sound of sirens in the distance had me getting to my feet. I died, the person I’d been died in that minute when I made the decision to let her go. “I’m with you.”
I walked out of the house, climbed into my car and followed Dax. We passed the source of the sirens, an accident, but I didn’t see it. I just drove, away from my life, away from my past, leaving my heart with the only girl I would ever love.
My cell rang when we reached the town’s border. I knew it was Cedar. I didn’t answer it. Held it as it rang, then I listened to her voice telling me she was ready to get picked up. I loved her. I never told her. I played her message a few times, burning it to memory, then I tossed the phone out the window and didn’t look back.
Chapter Nine
Cedar
It wasn’t likeBrock not to answer, but then if he had his hands buried in a transmission, he wouldn’t. I took a seat, waited for him to call me back. I was so happy with my project. I’d made a ring for my mom for Christmas. Since she loved flowers, I fashioned the metal to look like a vine. Had I real gemstones, I’d have added a few. I would when I was older, but for my first piece, it was really pretty.
I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, but it was getting dark. I reached for my phone to call Brock again when it rang in my hand.
