Page 91 of Twisted Truths
I walk over and pick it up. Each page is filled with stats and cut outs from articles of what looks to be Nash’s basketball games. One article calls himThe Barrenridge Bullet.Another headline readsClutch King Nash Stone Hits Buzzer-Beater for the Win.
In the corners of nearly every single page is Rylan’s handwriting. Little notes in bright blue pen that stands out against the greyscale clippings.
Nash = GOAT.
When I’m tall enough, I’m going to dunk like you.
My brother is going to make it to the NBA.
My chest tightens.
I keep flipping. There are articles from Nash’s college games. His rookie season in Boston. It’s clear his little brother idolised him.
Going to Nash, I wrap my arms around his waist, restingmy chin on his chest and looking up at him. “He was so proud of you.”
Nash blows out a shaky breath. “Yeah.”
“When was the last time you saw them all?” I ask.
“Mum, Paul, and Rylan came to the States eighteen months ago to watch me play as an early birthday surprise for Rylan.” He swallows hard, his throat bobbing with the effort. “I haven’t seen Zara in four years. She came over the year after she graduated high school. We spoke every other day on the phone, though. At least, until six months ago.”
“She loved you,” I tell him, my eyes shining from the devastation reflecting back at me in his. “They all did.”
“I was so fucking selfish, taking off and never coming back.” The pain in his voice makes my heart ache for him.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “You were chasing your dream, and they were happy for you. Zara was so proud. I could hear it in her voice every time she talked about you.”
“Yeah,” he says on a sigh. Glancing around his brother’s bedroom with a pained expression, he finally brings his gaze back to meet mine. “I fucking hate this.”
Whether he means the responsibility of having to pack up his family’s possessions, or simply the fact that they’re gone, I reach up on my tiptoes and brush my lips over his. “You don’t have to do it alone.”
He squeezes my waist. “Thank you.”
Releasing another heavy exhale, he steps away and starts packing his brother’s belongings into boxes, with mechanical precision. He quietly moves from one corner of the room to the next, his expression unreadable.
I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s going through. When our mother died, Madeline and I left with our backpacks filled with whatever we could carry, and we never went back. By the time I got to the Circle there was nothing left of Madeline’sto sort through. It was all gone. The only thing I have left of her is the locket she—or Gabriel—sent me.
Every now and then, Nash pauses his efforts, caught up in a memory. I don’t interrupt, letting him have those moments, letting him keep them for himself.
I’m trying not to break. I can’t. Not yet. I need to be strong for Nash.
But the longer I stay in this room, the more I feel like I’m suffocating under the weight of the lost potential, all the things that will never happen. Rylan won’t grow up to be a teenager. He won’t make mistakes or chase his dreams. He won’t have a first love, or argue with his brother over stupid things, or stand up for himself when the world gets too tough.
I set a stuffed axolotl in a box on the bed and turn away, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from spilling over. Nash is across the room, head bowed, and his hands grip Rylan’s dresser, his knuckles white. I open my mouth to say something, anything, but the words catch in my throat. I don’t know how to make this easier, or how to fix any of it. Thick tension hangs in the air, heavy like a storm cloud about to break.
Nash’s phone rings, cutting through the silence like a knife. He pulls it out and stares at the screen for a moment before answering it.
“Lev,” he says solemnly.
I’m unable to hear the other person on the phone but I still hold my breath, waiting to listen to Nash’s side of the conversation.
“Yeah, he came past here earlier.” They must be talking about the police officer. His eyes dart to mine before looking away again. “Just a friend.”
My chest tightens despite knowing he’s only trying to keep me safe. If people know I’m hiding here and it gets back to the Circle, our lives, and possibly Franklin’s, will be in even moredanger. As far as Guardian Solomon and Seraphina are concerned, Gabriel and I are as far away from Barrenridge as we can get. While that might be true for Gabriel, I’m a sitting duck. I shouldn’t have made myself known in front of the police officer earlier.
“Tell Paige thanks, but it’s really not necessary. There’s meat in the freezer and I have Mum and Paul’s cars if I need to get anything from town. I’m good.” There’s a long pause. “Give me a day or two out here and then I’ll swing past. I just need some time to get my head around all of this.” He’s also buying time for Gabriel to get back from Sydney because I know Nash would never leave me alone and unprotected. “Thanks, I appreciate it. Bye.”
“Everything okay?” I ask when he pockets his phone.
