Page 70 of The Devil You Know
Parker pointed his finger at Seth. “You got it.”
Seth took his coffee and grabbed a jacket as he slid into his boots. The late fall day was cold, and dark clouds promised snow.
He went out to the picnic table that was within the wards around the RV. The wood was warped and gray but still strong enough to bear his weight.That’s good, because I’m broken enough.
Seth wrapped both hands around his steaming mug and perched on the table, resting his boots on the seat.
I’m mourning the memories of a dream. None of that really happened. Mom and Dad and Jesse are dead. Everything I thought I experienced was a lie.
His chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.It was a lie—but I wanted it to be true. If Evan had been there, it would have been perfect.
How do I let go? How do I mourn them a second time?
Seth set his cup aside. Then he bowed his head and wept so hard that his shoulders shook, and he gasped for breath.I’ve lost them—again.
He heard footsteps crunch on the dry grass and knew Evan had come looking for him. Seth didn’t look up. He felt Evan settle next to him. For a while, they sat in silence while Evan drank the coffee he’d brought out with him.
Seth dragged his sleeve across his eyes, sniffing back the last of the tears. He still couldn’t look at Evan without breaking down again, and he was grateful that Evan knew him well enough to give him space instead of hauling him into a hug right now.
“That bastard Osborn magicked me into a hallucination,” Seth said finally. “I was home with Mom and Dad and Jesse just like when I first came back from the Army.”
“Figured something like that,” Evan murmured.
Seth stared into the distance. “I didn’t remember the real world, except I knew we shouldn’t go to the hell gate bridge. Jesse and I hung out. Mom and Dad were looking forward to retirement. Everything was good, except…”
Evan waited, letting Seth tell his story in his own time, and Seth appreciated his patience.
“Every now and then, I’d see things that no one else saw. My gun in a drawer. You in the crowd, over and over again,” Seth said in a low, confessional tone. “I’d look at the RV and know it wasn’t the way it should be, but I didn’t know why. Then we went to Richmond, and I kept getting flashes of memories. We went to Treddy’s, and I knew you should be there, but I didn’t know why. Then I saw you and followed you, and you told me to run, that I didn’t belong there.”
When Evan stayed quiet, Seth went on. “Jesse helped me figure out what was going on, and he helped me get away. You…you came for me, and you led me through the Church Street Tunnel, and we had to fight monsters to come out the other side. That’s when I woke up.”
Seth reached over and took Evan’s hand, silent permission for him to tell his part of the story.
“I searched for you,” Evan finally said. “I called Milo and Toby when you vanished. One thing led to another, and I got referred to Joe. He brought in Jenna and Adrian, and Travis helped me crack the spell so Parker and I could steal the anchor. Then Johnny worked a spell that let me contact you. I’m sorry that it took me so long to figure it out. And that I wasn’t the one to rescue you.”
“You sent Jenna and her people to storm the old hospital. If I hadn’t woken up and gotten out on my own, you would have saved me,” Seth replied.
“Glad you were badass enough to save yourself.”
“I was afraid Osborn grabbed you. What happened to Nelson was awful, but I’m glad it wasn’t you.”
“I still didn’t know for sure where you were when I went into the subway with Joe and Johnny,” Evan said. “And then you were there, rescuing me.”
“Always.”
They were quiet again for a while. Finally, Evan sighed and looked out into the distance. “I’m sorry that you had to lose Jesse and your folks. But I’m grateful that you came back to me.”
Seth turned to Evan and turned him so that their eyes met. “All the time I was in the dream, you were what was missing. I can live without Jesse. I can’t live without you.”
Seth leaned in and kissed Evan.
“You ready to go back inside? It’s cold out here. Plus, the sooner you recover, the sooner I can show you just how much I missed you,” Evan replied with a glint in his eyes.
“I hope your brother is a sound sleeper.”
12
EVAN
