Page 72 of Explode
Between Jane and Angel, they filled me in on how she was doing withall her schoolwork. Jane had continued to homeschool Angel, but all her work was being sent off and graded, and to my surprise, Angel was getting top scores in all her lessons. Despite everything that had happened since the day I made the damn deal with Kai, at least my sister was getting the education I had desperately wanted her to get.
Angel had always liked computer games, but in the past few monthsher love had changed from playing games to decoding and hacking databases, thanks to one of the mercs who was a tech-whizz, and according to Angel, she was going to give Miles a run for his money.
Again, I didn’t know whether to be proud or mortified.
When the tour inside came to an end, Jane left Angel and me to havesome time together, and Angel begged me to go with her to meet Edgar.
Panic coursed through me at the thought of my baby sisterdeveloping an interest in boys, so I couldn’t help but laugh when she led me to the stables and introduced me to Edgar, her favoritehorse.
Edgar was a beautiful chestnut stallion who’d been found neglectedon a farm not far from the house, and had been rescued by one of the Apollo mercenaries. For Angel, it had been love at first sight.
A look of sadness crept over her face when she signed to me thatshe knew she’d have to leave Edgar one day if it meant coming back to Hollows Bay.
As I stroked Edgar’s nose, and watched my sister sign, telling me allthe things she did each day to look after Edgar, thoughts rampaged through my mind.
Would it ever be safe for Angel to return to Hollows Bay?
Maybe I could stay here with Angel.
Maybe I didn’t have to go back to Hollows Bay with Kai.
But could I really leave Kai?
Sure, I was pissed at him, but I couldn’t deny the love I held for him.
And did I want to walk away from the war with Max and Hendrix?
CouldI just walk away from everything we’d achieved so far?
Angel tapped me on my arm, and I realized I’d zoned out, lostin my own little world.‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing,’I signed back, giving her a smile I knew didn’t reach myeyes.
I forgot how perceptive my little sister was. Her brows pulled into afrown, and she tugged my arm, pulling me down to sit on a bale of hay.
‘Somethings wrong, I know you. You’re not happy.’
Christ.
How could I explain to a twelve-year-old that over the last six months,I’d had to deal with heartbreak, betrayal, and a roller coaster of emotions? Here she was worrying about a horse, while around me, my world felt like it was falling apart. Yet, as I met my sister’s eyes, eyes that held nothing but love and familiarity, I found myself telling her everything.
Okay, not quite everything. Not about the murders I’d had a hand inplanning, and certainly not about the bedroom activities Kai and I had been engaging in, she definitely didnotneed to know about that.
When I finished, her mouth dropped open. I grimaced before lyingback on the hay bale, staring up at the wooden beams, and wondering how the fuck this crazy story had become my life.
That was until she pulled my arm and made me sit up to face her.‘Why did he let you believe he was dead?’
I sighed.‘I don’t know.’
‘He hasn’t told you?’she signed, her fingers moving quickly.
‘He tried, but….’I shrugged, not wanting to admit the truth, that Ihadn’t given him a chance.
She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, giving me a disapprovinglook.‘You haven’t let him explain?’
‘No, there’s no explanation for what he has done,’I signed back,trying my best to tamper the growing anger that always made an appearance when talking about Kai’s deceit.
‘That’s just stupid,’she signed back, rolling her eyes dramatically, andearning a scowl from me. As I lifted my hands to sign back, she stopped me.‘How do you know he hasn’t got a really good reason? Maybe he was in a coma or something, and then as soon as he woke up, he came to find you.’
