Page 154 of Driftwood Daffodil 3

Atlee stood up and dropped the scalpel on the slab beside Simon’s head. “What’s up, Gio?”

Where did I start? The bullshit I thought about Carissa for all these years? How I suspected Aldo had something to do with my mother’s murder, or that he was probably involved in Nova’s sister’s rape? None of that compared to the question weighing on the back of my mind.

“What if I was wrong about Atlas?”

That made his brow rise. “Did you find something?”

“I think he was involved in my mother’s death.” Maybe it was his voice I heard and not Aldo’s.

“I mean…” Atlee shrugged. “It wouldn’t surprise me, but…” he huffed out a sigh. “That doesn’t mean you were wrong. Atlas was an asshole. I fucking hated him, Darry hated him, half the goddamn town hated him. He was a sick fuck… but to you, he was something else. He was your brother.”

“Yeah, but that was a lie.”

It was all fake. Some kind of game Atlas got off on. It had to be. If he was the person everyone said he was, then he couldn’t have cared about me. That’s what hurt the most. For years I’d been defending him, for what? To find out it was all bullshit and I was just his puppet.

“Was it a lie?” Atlee asked. “Of all the fucked up shit I’ve seen Atlas do, he never once fucked with you. Hell, maybe you were the only person he gave a shit about? Maybe that was his way of fucking with you, I don’t know. But I do know that you are the only person he wasn’t an asshole to. So, no, Gio, you weren’t wrong about Atlas. He just wasn’t a monster to you.”

I got where he was coming from but… “I did all that crap to Nova.”

“Of course you did. Her brother killed yours…”

“And her sister was raped.” I interrupted.

Not once did Nova hold that against me. She even went so far as to apologise for what I lost. Would I change anything if I could go back? No.

“Maybe?” Atlee nodded. “But she let that go. Can you do the same for her?”

I could never forgive Kato. Despite what Atlas may have done, Atlee was right. He was something else to me. But could I let it go with Nova…

“I don’t know?”

“Do you love her?”

I looked down at the bloody broken man I had tortured, for her, then back up at Atlee.

“Yes.” That was the first time I’d said that out loud. It felt good.

“Does anything else matter?”

No, it didn’t.

“Go,” Atlee tipped his chin towards the stairs. “I got this.”

NOVALEE

Memphis slept for two days. I tried to get him out of bed but he said he was happier in his dreams because Chuck was there. When I woke up this morning, he was gone. I don’t know where he went, or when he would come back. All I had to go on was a note.

Nova,

I can’t stay here anymore. Everything is so empty without him. My father is acting like Chuck was a casual acquaintance. He’ll never accept me. I need to go away and clear my head, figure things out. I’m not running away from you. I would never run away from you, but you don’t need me. You have Gio. I know he could never replace me, that’s not what I mean. You love him, Nova. Don’t take that for granted. Find him, be with him, and never let him go.

There’s a blue box on my dresser. Take it to Chuck’s funeral. I want it buried with him. Tell his parents I’m sorry I couldn’t be there and give them my love. Tell them that I’m going to find the end of the rainbow. They’ll know what it means.

I love you Nova. I will always love you. You are the other half of my soul. But please, don’t try and find me. Call and text all you want. Just leave me alone for a couple of weeks so I can heal.

Love always,

Memphis.

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