Page 55 of The Devil You Know
Jesse’s gaze turned worried. “Maybe you should see a counselor.”
Seth barked a rueful laugh. “So they can lock me up?” A shiver went down his spine and panic twisted his guts.Guess I tried that, and it didn’t go well in the other life.
Tonight, Seth and Jesse sat on the roof of the RV with a pizza and a bucket of longnecks. Their parents had gone on a candlelight tour of one of the local historic mansions. The campground was fairly quiet, and the night was mild.
“I’ll back you up, no matter what,” Jesse said. “But I gotta tell you—this is starting to freak me out.”
“You and me, both.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, drinking beer and looking at the night sky, close enough their shoulders bumped. Seth felt a deep peace settle over him, soothing a bone-deep sadness.
“You’re not going to stay,” Jesse said quietly.
“I don’t think I belong here,” Seth answered, feeling like no matter what he chose, his heart would break.
“We’re your family. You’ll always belong here.”
And Evan is my heart.“If this whole thing is just the fallout from an old head injury, nothing will change,” Seth replied. “I’ll feel like a total dumbass, and you’ll have blackmail material for the rest of our lives.”
“That man…he’s important to you in the other place?”
Seth nodded. “He’s my everything.” He didn’t have to think twice.
“Then we need to get you back to your man,” Jesse said. “But I’m gonna miss you.”
“Gonna miss you too.”
“I always thought from the TV shows that when there were multiple timelines, there was more than one of you, living all the different variations of your life.” Jesse kept staring at the sky, not turning to look at Seth. “Then you could have him, and we could have you.”
“I wish.”
“Are you going to tell Mom and Dad?”
Seth gave him the side-eye. “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way.”
“You’re just going to disappear?”
Seth looked down and picked at a loose thread on his jeans. “Not exactly. I thought I’d try to find Evan and the ‘holes’ the psychic mentioned. I keep dreaming about a corridor—maybe that’s what she meant. But not until the last day of vacation—after I make it the best day ever. Something to remember.”
Jesse gave a sharp nod, and Seth realized that his brother was trying not to cry. “It won’t be the same without you.”
“I’m sorry.” Seth was quiet for a moment. “Just promise me something. Don’t go to that ‘hell gate’ tunnel. Ever.”
Jesse turned to him with a strange expression. “We went—in the other life. Something bad happened, didn’t it?”
“Real bad,”
“Did I die?”
Seth felt like he wanted to throw up, and he wrapped his arms around his middle as the truth of Jesse’s guess hit him. “Fuck.”
Jesse paled. “That’s why you hunt witches. For revenge.”
As soon as the words were spoken, Seth knew the truth of them. “Jesse—”
“Maybe you’re right where you’re supposed to be. Maybe we’re the ones who aren’t supposed to be here,” Jesse said before he finished off his beer.
Seth pulled out his phone on impulse, opening the search.Jackson Evan Malone, his mind supplied. He typed it in and held his breath.
