Chapter 16
Their parents prepared to leave as if they hadn’t just dropped an emotional bomb on the room. Their own relatives possibly had helped with Phoenix’s kidnapping. They went after the kids, maybe all of them. It’s so awful.
“Kit,” Barrett said, catching his arm. “I get that you don’t want to talk about Alatheia’s stuff tonight. I mean, if I’m honest, I don’t get it, and I don’t like it, but fine.”
Phoenix interrupted, pointing out, “I could go steal the folder again.”
Kit glared at him. “Don’t.”
“I didn’t say I would, I just said I could.” He scowled, crossing his arms rebelliously.
Barrett continued. “She needs health insurance, so could you put a rush on that bit? What if she gets sick or needs to go to the hospital or something?”
Eric stood quickly, hyper focused on me suddenly. “Are you feeling okay, Alatheia?”
“I’m good, thanks.” No way would I discuss my cramps or the weirdness of my cycle with Phoenix’s dad. Too weird, I can’t do it. Everything in our world might be weird, but that somehow crossed a line.
“I don’t think that’s their point.” Kit shook his head. “Regardless, I’ll put her on one of our policies, which is easy on paper since she is an employee for Granny. We’ll have her a card by the end of the week, if not sooner.”
I opened and closed my mouth, surprised it went so easily. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Kit headed for the door, brushing his hands against each other as if to shake off the conversation.
“We’ve given you guys a lot of information to process, so that’s probably enough for tonight.
Happy Birthday, Alatheia. We’ll see you all soon, maybe for dinner?
Upstairs, next week if you’re available? ”
No one answered. I didn’t know about them, but I still couldn’t find my voice.
Once they left, Phoenix disappeared into his room, but I expected him to need something after the encounter.
The other Lents remained quiet, so I left them to their thoughts.
I focused all my worry toward Phoenix, and gathered all my bravery to knock on his door, despite him leaving it part way open.
“Hey,” I said then leaned against the frame, hoping I looked casual. “You okay?”
He stared out the window, sitting in the window seat with his arms around one bent leg. “I’m foggy in the head, but they killed my buzz. That leaves me just foggy.”
I couldn’t pretend to understand what he meant. I joked, “Maybe some time, I’ll try it so I know what you mean.”
He spun to face me, his face intense. “I’m not a violent man, but I would destroy anyone who gave you drugs.”
I shouldn’t like him going all protective, but it warmed me up inside. “Okay,” I said simply then walked over to drape my arms around his neck. “It’s late.”
“Give me a little while to think? I think I need to go to the lake this summer. I’m not a kid anymore. If I look them in the eyes, maybe I’ll remember something. Will you come with me?”
I usually would remind them I might have to leave, and tell them how I didn’t have any control over the situation, but I recognized it wasn’t the time for that. “Anywhere you go, I’ll go. You’re going to the lake? I’m there, too.”
“Thank you.”
We rocked, almost slow dancing without music, there in his bedroom. Finally, he spoke against my hair. “If I knew how much I would love you, I wouldn’t have taken so long to find you.”
I shook my head. “Your brother only beat you to me by a few days.”
“Too many,” he said and closed his eyes. “I think we should head to Barrett’s room before I fall asleep standing up. Thank you for bringing back my high.” He laughed, his smile a bit goofy. “The Alatheia high.”
We walked arm in arm, then dropped together onto Barrett’s bed . I heard water running, which meant Barrett would be in the shower, and the twins weren’t in the bedroom yet. By the time he came out of the bathroom, Phoenix snored as he held me close.
His oldest brother remained silhouetted as he considered us for long moments before he said softly, “If I could go back, I would get kidnapped instead of him.”
I stroked Phoenix’s hair. “Sounds like they tried to take you.”
“I don’t remember the puking. I only remember him being taken.
Then again, I always have to ask myself, could I have survived it like he did?
You see him now, and he’s about a million different things.
He’s brilliant, smart, kind, funny… but totally out of it most days.
All of that remains true, but the other kids didn’t get away alive.
Phoenix did. He made it. Would I have made it?
Could any of us, if we were in his place? ”
I offered my hand, so he came to me and took it. I tugged him closer, trying to ignore the way my stomach cramped and the headache was forming in my temples. For the moment, I could ignore it. “That’s quite a heavy load of guilt you’re carrying around, Barrett Lent.”
“Guilt and gratitude. As fucked up as we are, we’re all still here.”
I smiled. “For that, I am grateful, too.”
My sketch from their mother rested on Barrett’s desk, since I didn’t really have anywhere else to put it.
He shared everything with me, including his bathroom.
I got out of the bed then moved past him to quickly take care of my unfortunate period needs.
When I came back, he was reading cross legged on the floor.
The twins still didn’t make an appearance, which wasn’t like them, so I frowned.
I hoped they weren’t guilt tripping themselves like Barrett… “Be right back,” I whispered to him.
He nodded. “Don’t let Jeremy make any big plans that can blow up.”
I blew out a breath, since it proved Barrett knew exactly what I was thinking.
He was thinking it, too. I followed the sound of their voices to Jer’s room, where they stood shirtless and ready for bed.
The sight of them honestly took my breath away for a few seconds, so it took me a minute to catch onto their low voices arguing.
“They’re going to have to deal with it. I’m not going to college until we get this sorted.
It’s time they told us specifically who took Phoenix.
They have to give us answers. I’m sick of them trying to bury it and hope it goes away.
They managed it before for twelve years and things still blew up on them.
No, this has to be handled.” Jeremy punched his fist into his opened hand then propped his hands on his hips.
Julian nodded. “Okay, so we graduate then go down there. We don’t leave until someone responsible pays for fucking with our family and hurting our little brother.”
I knocked, so they would realize I’d heard their plan. “Phoenix intends to visit this summer, too. I didn’t ask Barrett, but I would guess it’s the general consensus. No Hamptons until after the lake, because I told Phoenix I would go, too.”
Jer’s shoulders sagged, but instead of looking relieved, he seemed to take on more weight. “It makes things easier, at least. They never manage to stop us or even slow us down when we move collectively.”
He slipped an arm around me, tugging me close with a sigh. “I wish it had been me.”
I knew it. Obsessing. Even if they all suffered trauma, they knew only Phoenix suffered forever.
Julian joined us, sliding into my other side as if he belonged there. “I’m glad you’re coming, but you’re wrong, Jer. It should’ve been me.”
They argued the whole way to Barrett’s bedroom about which one of them should've been kidnapped. The sounds of New York City pressed into my consciousness, horns in the distance and the hum of it all like white noise to me, making me sigh in pleasure. In fact, between the city and the twins snoring, I wasn’t sure I would ever sleep well in true quiet again.
My period cramps woke me at dawn, despite Jer’s comforting arm around me and the steady way Phoenix breathed. I moaned as I woke, and Barrett mumbled to himself. Julian snored, deeply asleep on his mattress.
I snuck out of bed, making my way toward the living room so I wouldn’t wake anyone else.
I checked my phone, surprised when I saw Tiffany had pushed off our coffee by an hour.
At three a.m. , which struck me as even weirder, because she knew she probably wouldn’t be up in time. Late night, good for her.
A message from Bethany offered to reserve me for a spa day.
I answered her quickly, panicking briefly because I wasn’t sure how to pay for it and because I’d never had one before.
The guys would likely pay for it, but I wasn’t going to ask them.
I would rather use my own information, so Phoenix could open me a bank account.
Then Poor Relation could take care of some of my needs.
I asked for a rain check then blamed my period. Hopefully, she wouldn’t feel blown off. I might not have initially been excited about her friendship, but she’d really grown on me.
The third message made me groan a little bit louder, but partially out of social panic.
It simply read—This is Murial. I missed your birthday.
Meet me at the Met tomorrow at five. Don’t be late.
Bring a Lent, if you must. They’re your shadows lately, so I don’t care which one.
But only bring one, because I don’t want to be a parade.
My heart thudded and my hand shook, but the message didn’t vanish. Shit. I wondered if I could get out of it for cramps, too.
Then again, Murial probably could afford to have a team massage her ovaries until any pain vanished as if it never began.
I wouldn’t even be surprised. Not with how weird everything else seemed to be lately.
Jeremy entered the room, his jaw stretched with a yawn. “The room gets colder when you leave it. I notice it even when I’m not the one next to you. Currently, it’s freezing in there.”