Magnolia (Delfosse-Brothers #2)

Chapter 1

Jannis

There was a knock at the classroom door. Our vice principal strode in and told us he had something serious to share. Two hours later, I was sitting in my doctor’s waiting room and the news our principal shared was still echoing in my head. “Hospital. ICU. Critical condition. Bacterial Meningitis.”

But that can’t be true. We were together just yesterday, and everything was fine.

Okay, he had a bad cold and was tired. I think he had a fever too.

We didn’t kiss. “Don’t want you to get sick too.

” I just nodded. “I want everyone to know we’re together though.

I don’t want to keep sneaking around at school, pretending we’re nothing to each other. ”

I nodded again.

“When?” I asked, and he smiled at me weakly.

“Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow never came. He didn’t make it. On Thursday he was here, on Monday his seat was empty forever. And so was I. But no one noticed, because no one knew about us. And no one asked me about it.

“You are so beautiful.” I remember vividly how his right hand was running through my blond curls, while his left was on my cheek.

Now, his warmth is gone, no longer flooding my body with each of his touches.

Everything is gone. Forever. I only understood the finality of what happened at his funeral.

You’d think that after my mother’s death, I knew what it felt like to lose someone you love, but I didn’t lose my mother.

She was never present, at least not emotionally.

It was different with Danny. I could’ve screamed, I could’ve thrown things, broken them, torn them into a thousand little pieces, just to put them into the same state I was in.

Still am. I didn’t do that though—I was quiet, as always. Literally.

I don’t talk to anyone except my family.

That’s why everyone thinks I’m a freak. He didn’t care.

He didn’t give up, never made me feel like I was weird, waited patiently until I spoke to him for the first time.

Why him? How could this have happened? He was in the hospital.

Why couldn’t they help him there? They said he had sepsis.

Tears run down my cheeks. Three years later, and I still miss him as if I said goodbye yesterday. My body longs for his touch so much that it hurts.

Sometimes Luca drags me along when he thinks I need to get out and socialize. I don’t want to, but I usually give in.

Like today. He’s in the schoolyard with a few friends, shooting some hoops, as usual.

I’m sitting on the bench a little to the side of the court, as usual.

My gaze is fixed on the sky. It’s so blue today, just like Danny’s eyes.

The eyes that will never look at me again.

They are slowly fading, and I so badly want to keep this memory. I have photos. But it’s not the same.

“Hey, um... are you okay?”

“What?” Did I just say that out loud? No, definitely not.

“Are you okay? You always look so sad.”

Always? What the fuck? “Are you stalking me?” I definitely said that out loud. That’s... surprising. My voice is quiet and cold, like everything inside me. I look away.

“No, oh God, no. I just walk my dog here pretty much every day. You sit here a lot when the other guys are playing basketball and, um... you’re crying.”

I’m still searching the blue above me for something that will never come back. My lower lip is trembling. No one has asked me how I am for over three years. No one except my family. But they can’t know.

“Can I sit with you?” Is he serious? How did he get the impression I wanted company?

I reluctantly tear my gaze away from the blue nothingness and turn toward his voice.

The contrast feels like a punch in the guts.

Two dark eyes, much darker than my own, look at me cautiously.

Short, black hair sticks out in all directions.

He sits down on the other end of the bench. “Why aren’t you playing?”

“I don’t like basketball.”

“Then why are you here?”

Yeah, that’s the question. Every time. “Luca drags me along... My little brother.”

He looks intently over at the others, searching for someone who looks like me. “The tall one with short dark curls.”

“With the shaved sides?” I nod in confirmation.

“Oh... I... um...”

“We don’t look alike. We’re both adopted.” He stares at me with his mouth open. Yeah, the story always works. Even the biggest talker has no idea what to say to that.

“And you’re happy with your parents?”

Okay, he does. Unbelievable. “My fathers are the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”

“Fathers?”

“You’re pretty curious for your age.” He’s small and slim, probably younger than Luca. At least he looks that way. He’s taller than Louis though, and Louis is twenty-four.

“How old do you think I am?” He laughs, openly and warmly, not appearing offended.

“Fifteen?”

“Seriously? Oh God!” He dramatically hides his face in his hands and fake cries. I want to roll my eyes, but the corners of my mouth twitch upward.

What’s wrong with me? We’re talking and... fuck, we’re talking. I’m talking to a stranger. As if it’s the most normal thing in the world. That’s never happened to me before.

“How old are you?”

“You really want to know?” Lifting his head he looks at me with a piercing gaze as if he can see right through me. The thought is creepy and I try to look away, to put my walls back up, but he doesn’t let go. I nod quickly.

“I want to know your name too.” Did I really say that? Why?

A broad smile reveals a row of gleaming white teeth. “I’m Dayyan and I’m nineteen. And you?”

“You’re older than me? Damn! I’m Jannis and I’m eighteen. Why have I never seen you here before?” Since when do I ask questions? What’s wrong with me?

“We just moved here six weeks ago.” He shrugs sheepishly.