Page 95 of Meant to be Falling
Case has his phone to his ear as he mumbles something into the receiver, but I don’t catch what he says. Blood roars in my ears as I watch the only person in my life who’s ever stood by me try to walk away.
“You’re not fucking leaving,” I bark.
“Mason, I’m not doing this with you here.”
“Well then, you should have fucking done it with me at the house. But you didn’t and now we’re here.”
“I did what I needed to do. I got you here. I got you safe. You fucking fell in love. Hell, you have a family.”
“You’re my goddamn family. What the fuck is the matter with you? You think you can just leave as if it means nothing. As if we mean nothing. Don’t even fucking think about it. Pack my shit; we’ll be on the road.”
He must finally snap because he looks at me. “You’re not fucking leaving. I did my job. I got you here. I did everything I needed to do.”
“Don’t make me into some fucking checklist. I’m not some goddamn item you can just cross off because you finally made it. Fuck that. Figure something else out cause I’m not gonna let you go.”
“He won the appeal,” Bodhi shouts, the sound strained like it was ripped from his throat. “He’s getting a new trial.” I stagger back, my legs hitting the trailer, almost toppling me over. ButBodhi is right there like he always is, grabbing my arm and lifting me up.
We’d left it all behind us when we moved to Tennessee. Audrey’s death had haunted us…hauntedBodhi.It’d taken him years to convince anyone she hadn’t run away, that she’d died in that house. That the man trusted by the state to foster kids in need of a loving home could be so cruel, so heartless. Audrey’s death had been the worst, but it hadn’t been all of it. He would have killed me too if Bodhi hadn’t jumped in.
My brother had served one year in juvenile detention for assault.
He’d saved me, and just like his plea for the little girl who’d been like his big sister, the truth had fallen on deaf ears.
He doesn’t deserve to be free.
“I’ll go with you.”
“You can’t. A lot of people depend on you now. Beck and Holland need you.”
“But I’ll always need you,” I say as panic starts clawing at my chest.
Why can’t I get through to him?
The roar of the engine pulls our attention to the road, as a Chevy Blazer pulls into the lot.
Sorren Mackay jumps out of the passenger seat with Hank Thayer following soon after. He’s slower but no less intimidating as he unfolds himself from the driver seat.
Help.
Sanctuary.
“Oh, this looks nice,” Sorren deadpans, ignoring the tension completely.
Bodhi looks at me one more time. “I always knew that you’d find happiness. And it’s alright that it’s not my time. And it might never be but?—”
“Alright dickhead, time to get in the car,” Sorren says, earning a snicker from Case and an exaggerated cough from Otto. Hank looks at me but otherwise doesn’t say anything.
“Listen, guys,” Bodhi starts, but Sorren just squares up on him and growls, “Get in the car.” When Bodhi doesn’t move, he adds, “Look, I’m not sure why you thought that running away was an option, kid.” Sorren smirks. “You still have no idea who we are, do you?” Silence hangs over us.
Hank snorts. “As if we’d let you guys roll into this town and not know what’s going on.”
The feeling is unsettling. And weirdly charming.
“This isn’t your problem,” Bodhi says, his voice rising.
It’s the wrong thing to say, and I can tell by the way his Adam’s apple bobs that he knows it too.
“Told you from the beginning, man, we always show up for family. And you, my brother, are family,” Otto says, strong and sure.
