Page 36 of Drown My Sorrow

“Well, that would be sad.”

“Seriously?”

I shrug. “Life is life. Who am I to deny my shark brother a meal?”

Mitch stares at me like I’m a monster. I guess, for a lot of people, I am. But not for her.

“If you ever think I’m in danger of getting eaten, please deny your finned friend dinner. I want to live with all my appendages.”

I snort and climb back into the car.

The foliage is thick up here. We can’t be seen from the beaches or the ocean. But there are places we can stop and spy.

Track their progress.

And there are a few more beaches I can show up and drive them on again, too.

The only regret I have is that Aspyn isn’t here with me. I think she might really get a kick out of this.

Chapter nine

Aspyn

AspynAged15

“Will you get a look at Scar over here?” The sneering, snarling voice is loud, and everyone looks in his direction.

I flinch and duck my head, letting my hair fall over my face as I use the crutches to move me faster down the hall.

I’ve been back at school for a week.

The whispers are worse than the shouts. The hissing sounds I just catch are accompanied by stares and looks of horror or, worse, pity.

Everyone acts like I can’t hear them or see them. Like the accident affected my brain. Kids are so dumb, the teachers and parents are worse.

“I hear she killed her family.”

That is loud and clear, echoing around my head, streaking pain into my body. I hear it over and over. Until everyone is saying it. That hurts more than a million insults.

Partially because I feel like it’s true.

I didn’t think there was anything anyone could say to make me hurt more than I already do. Turns out I was wrong.

I slowly spin and limp out of the school. I’m not coming back.

My life, the one Mum has been trying to push me to return to, is over. It’s time to find my new place in the world.

PresentDay

Beau packs up all the biscuits and then turns off the stovetop, setting the bowl of tuna mornay and pasta down in front of me.

“Aren’t you staying?” I inquire softly, trying to hide my hope that he will say yes.

I don’t want to beg. That wouldn’t do at all.

“Not tonight, my love, but I’ll come back and have breakfast with you.”

That puts a dampener on my meal. I want him to stay with me, but then I always want them to stay with me. Loneliness is a silent killer. It steals your reasons for breathing, and I am lonely. Maybe that’s why I’m allowing them to be around me more than usual.

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