Page 69 of Lunar Desires
After the others left, Isaac held back, one foot on the stairs, his head bowed.
“I’ll wait for Drake, so you’re not alone.” His posture changed, his shoulders sagging.
“Isaac?” I spoke with a lump in my throat. “Are you…are you okay?”
He grabbed the banister, his knuckles turning white. “Was that really our dad?”
“I think so.” I swallowed the lump, only for another to take its place.
Isaac’s shoulders visibly tensed under his wet witchcop clothes. “Unless the vision was fake. We’re dealing with magic and twisted fuckers here. But…but I don’t think so. Deep down, I know it’s him. I know he’s my dad.” He shook his head. “Why you? Why did he take you?”
A kernel of angst flared under the ribs. “I—” I couldn’t speak, my brother’s question too loaded with pain.
But he’d been right to ask it. Why did Dad take me? Why not all three sons? Maybe separating us was for safety reasons, being under one roof too dangerous. Sure. But why me? What made me so special?
Isaac pulled his shoulders back as he drew in a deep breath. “I can’t… Fuck.”
Guilt tore chunks out of me. “You can talk to me.”
He moved up a couple of steps. “My head hurts as much as my fucking heart.” His voice fractured with sadness. “It’s the worst sort of pain, you know? Physical, emotional, getting into every nook and cranny. I don’t…” He let out a tiny whimper, hitting me right in the feels.
My eyes pricked with heat. “Isaac…”
He sniffled. “Why do I feel so jealous?”
An overwhelming desire to hug him flushed through me. “Isaac…”
Footsteps on the stairs. My brother lifted his head. “Hey. He’s all yours.” He sidestepped, allowing Drake through, a fluffy white dressing gown in his arms.
Without another word, Isaac left the basement.
I leaned back on my hands, my head titled back. I was emotionally exhausted, trying to hold back the tears.
“What happened?” I listened to Drake approach, getting little traces of his minty scent.
Lifting my head, I let the tears roll free. A ton of sorrow crashed down on me, everything hurting in the way Isaac described. No inch of me spared, reality here to slap me around.
So many secrets, so much grief, cracks spidering across my sparkly walls.
Always cracks. Always space for sadness to infect the glitter.
“Dammit…” I whispered.
As much as I strived to live my life in the sunshine, lately I found myself stumbling into the shade. Things were dark andI couldn’t bury my head in the sand anymore. A smile and a cheery attitude weren’t enough. Positives vibes wouldn’t take down the Kingwoods or Uncle Jonathon. Violence would, along with nerves of steel.
I was changing, a scary road ahead of me, peppered with mysteries.
I don’t know if I can do this…
Sobs exploded out of me like mini bombs one after the other. I collapsed onto my back, covering my face as white-hot tears tracked down my face.
Dad. Mum. Every damn thing, it pinned me to this floor, not letting me breathe. Powerful yet powerless, with nothing to snatch me out of this sorrowful orbit. Trapped. Spinning. Broken.
I’m done…
“Riley…”
And just like this, I left one orbit, only to be snared by Drake’s.
