AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CORBIN
I was moving before I realized what I was doing. I stepped in front of Xaiden to get in his line of sight. The fire was no longer there to warm me, which I desperately needed. I’d had constant chills from the start of Xaiden’s story. I didn’t think he was really here while he spoke. Peering at him now, I was right. Xaiden said the words, but he was trapped in the past. I had to be gentle and not jar him too much.
Tears cascaded in quiet rivers down his cheeks, a visual of the pain which resided in him. I brushed them away, hoping the touch would bring him back. It didn’t. He’d stopped talking. The story didn’t end there. It was where his pain started though. Where he lost someone very important to him. I wouldn’t push him to say more now, or ever, if he didn’t want to.
“Xaiden,” I whispered, taking his hands in mine. I shook them. Nothing.
Val got up and stood beside me. He reached out but I stopped him with a hand on his.
“We don’t want to startle him. Just ease him out of his memory. He’s a big guy. If he lashes out, neither of us will stand a chance.”
That got Val’s attention. In truth, I didn’t know how Xaiden would react, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Xaiden,” I said louder this time. “Val and I want to talk to you.”
His eyes shifted, held mine. “Corbin?” He looked at the man by my side. “Val?”
“Yeah,” Val whispered, clearly as shook up as I was.
“I haven’t talked about that in decades. The last time was when I had to relay everything in court in front of a judge and jury so he would go to jail.”
“Did he?” I asked.
“He did. He was murdered in there three years after she was killed.” Tears kept coming, kept flowing from his eyes. There was so much pain, right on the surface for us to see. As visible as it was, I watched as Xaiden realized what he’d said, what he was experiencing. The mask slowly slid over his face. “I’m sorry.” He turned from us, breaking my hold on his hands. He quickly wiped away the moisture on his cheeks. “I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t. You both should go.” He didn’t give us a chance to respond before he quickly put out the fire.
Val and I stood together, watching Xaiden as he disappeared into the house. The lock clicking on the sliding door as effective as the mask was on Xaiden’s face.
“Shit,” Val muttered.
“We should give him some space.”
“Are you sure? He shouldn’t be by himself.”
“He’s been alone with this for a long time. Over thirty years, if I heard what he told Dexen right. We’ll give him time. He has our numbers. Hopefully he’ll come to us. If not, we can return in a week to see how he’s doing.”
“A week?”
“I’m afraid if we push him too hard, he’ll retreat further.”
“All right, Doc.”
The path to the driveway was lit with small solar lights. The sun had set. Every step away from Xaiden hurt deeply. I understood Val not wanting to leave him. I didn’t either. Staying here, pushing him beyond what he wanted to give, that wouldn’t end with us becoming closer to Xaiden.
We stopped beside Val’s car, both of us looking at the other, unsure of what to say.
“Listen,” Val spoke first. “I know we were here to become friends with Xaiden, but I’d like to think you and I are friends too. If you want that.” He had his head down, his focus on toeing a pebble on the driveway.
Reaching out, I put my hand on his arm, much like I did to Xaiden when he gave us the fast tour of his home. “I’d like that very much.”
“I’m sorry I mentioned us practicing with each other. That was shitty of me.”
“It wasn’t. Not at all. It’s not what I’m looking for though.”
His eyes lifted. I wasn’t used to seeing Val vulnerable, at least not during the few encounters I’d had with him, but he was now. “Not looking for with me… or anyone?” With him? I had to admit while we were sitting around the fire, I studied not only Xaiden but Val too. He was handsome in a different way than Xaiden. Val needed someone to soften him. To show him life wasn’t always out to get him.
I could feel the heat rising up my neck before the words were out of my mouth. “I’m attracted to you, Val. I know you value honesty, so there’s my truth.”
“You are?”
