Page 14 of Broken Truths

I give him a smile, and he immediately leans the gun against the side of the house and starts forward. My fingertips still buzz but I go to greet him, anyway.

“Jesus. The last person I expected here was you.”

“Obviously,” I say, still attempting to joke about the gun that almost made me piss my pants.

Devon squeezes me to him. “I was just hunting this damn raccoon that keeps making an appearance.”

“You need a double barrel for a raccoon?”

He releases me. “Trust me, he’s ruthless.” His gaze drifts behind me and pauses. “Oliver, good to see you.” He peers between the two of us, and I stand there, taking him in.

This is Devon unlike I’ve ever seen him before. He always looked different from the rest of the Forbeses, but this is something else entirely. His eyes are guarded and resemble pits of black. He has an unkempt beard full of wiry brown hair. When he backs away, I’m pretty sure there’s a body odor smell that lingers between us that I try my best not to react to.

Man, how he’s fallen… I almost feel bad for being here, next to a man who’s obviously not expecting company, especially not me. “Devon, shit.”

He peers down at the ground. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“You sure? Because it looks bad.”

He lifts his eyes until they’re staring straight through me, and I recognize that steel trap of nothingness. It’s the thing that keeps nipping at my heels, wanting to take over.

And if it weren’t for Oliver, Leo, and Alaric, it may have.

But I have a purpose. Something Devon looks like he’s severely lacking right now.

5

Eden

Devon moves a stack of books off of an orange tweed chair that looks like it transplanted from the sixties and adds it to the pile of old paper plates, used cups, and toppled over knickknacks on a side table.

Now that we’re inside this ramshackle old cabin, his exterior fits better. Out of the small windows in the back, I spot the raging river that killed my sister, which hasn’t yet frozen over but will. In due time.

“What is this place, Devon?”

“My father’s hunting cabin. Well, an old family cabin, anyway. My grandfather was the last big hunter. It doesn’t get used much anymore. Obviously.”

I’m almost finding it hard to believe that a Forbes would let any of his possessions go to ruin but the evidence is before me. The gun Devon brought in with him is sitting atop the kitchen counter—he had to push aside more dirty dishes so it would have a level place to rest.

He dusts off the chair next to me, and Oliver and I peer at each other before sitting, carefully avoiding the coffee table in front of us. Devon moves to lift a box of ammo from another dated seat cushion and places it on an old, wood stand perched next to him. To the other side of his chair is a tarnished gold freestanding lamp topped with a dusty shade.

The only good thing about this cabin is the heat from the fireplace. I’m sitting so close, I even unzip my jacket because it’s a little too much.

“I didn’t expect you,” Devon stammers, stare moving around the cabin as if seeing it for the first time. “I would’ve cleaned up.”

Shrugging, I try not to eye my surroundings warily. “We’re the ones barging in.”

“Heard you were going to Carnegie,” he forces out, barely mustering a smile. “And you, too, Oliver. I must admit I was surprised about that, but maybe not too surprised.” His gaze drops to mine and Oliver’s entwined hands, and this time, though his eyes still look lost, his smile is genuine. “It’s about time.”

“I agree,” Oliver interjects. “Apparently, all I had to do was stalk her across the globe.”

Devon chuckles, his hand coming up to stroke his disheveled beard before he quickly drops it and runs his palms across his camouflage pants.

“I, um, I haven’t seen you,” he starts, gazing up at me with uncertainty. “I hope you know how sorry I am about Dee. She was—” He clears his throat. “She was one of the bright spots in this fucked-up shithole.”

I reach out and Devon grasps my fingers in his. I give them a quick squeeze before settling back in my seat. Seeing others’ grief makes it more real. So much has happened since her death, yet not enough at all. “I know, Dev. It’s fucked up. That’s actually why I’m here.”

His eyes round. “Really?”

---