Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
BANNER
“And this is what you really want?”
I try to picture my little sister running around with a rifle and think I might throw up, but I keep my expression natural. This isn’t about me. It’s about her.
“More than anything. You know me, you know how long I wanted it. I tried to fake some enthusiasm for college because it’s what you and our parents want. But the thought of heading back to the classroom is slowly killing me, Banner.”
“Alright.”
“I swear to you I didn’t make this decision lightly. I know this is not what you—wait, what?”
“I said alright. If this is what you want, and it means this much to you, then I’m with you all the way.”
She jumps up from her seat and runs around the table so she can throw herself into my arms. “I love you. “
“Right back at ya, kid,” I choke out. This is going to kill me, but I’m still gonna stand back and let her do it.
When she lets me go, she drags her seat over so she can sit closer. “I have something else I want to tell you.”
“Should I brace myself?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. This was in the mailbox today.”
I take the envelope she hands me and see her name written on the front in my father’s handwriting. I open it up and scan the letter. There isn’t much to it.
Katy,
Your mother and I are leaving. In fact, by the time you read this letter, we should be gone.
We can’t stay in Tempest, not now, not after everything.
I’ll arrange for the house to be put on the market remotely, and I’ll hire professionals to come in and pack up our belongings.
If you want to take anything from your room, now would be the time to do it.
I’m sorry things turned out this way. I didn’t know how bad it had gotten, and what I did notice, I turned a blind eye to.
For what it’s worth, I do love you. I hope you find happiness in whatever you choose to do with your life.
You’re bright, beautiful, and loyal. I know it doesn’t mean much after everything, but I’m so proud of you.
Take care.
Dad.
I hand it back to her as she watches me expectantly.
“You want help packing anything up? I can get the boys round to help.”
“Yeah, Banner, that would be great,” she whispers.
“I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say right now. I’m assuming there was no letter for me?”
She shakes her head. “They’re cowards, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. But I can’t say I’m surprised that they’d rather run than try and fix things.”
“They’re never coming back, are they?”
“I don’t know, Katy. I really don’t.”
“I don’t know why they stay together. They don’t even sleep in the same bed.”
“Lots of couples sleep in separate rooms for lots of different reasons.”
“He’s having an affair.”
“What?”
She nods, looking down at the table. “I caught him on the phone and heard Mom yelling at him. It’s not the first time, and I doubt it will be the last. I just don’t know why he stays and why she lets him. Why not just leave and put everyone out of their misery?”
Still reeling from her words, I look back and realize all the signs were there. I just chose not to see them.
“I don’t know. I’ve given up trying to figure them out.
Truth is, if Mom knew, like you said, then it’s on her that she decided to stay.
I’m not saying that makes Dad right in any way, shape, or form.
I know I couldn’t forgive someone if they cheated on me.
I think once the trust was broken, I’d question everything after that, and that would just be exhausting for both of us. ”
“Once a cheat, always a cheat, huh?”
I shrug. “I’m not the expert on this. I’ve been cheated on, sure, but I didn’t care enough about them to try and forgive them and make it work. For Sorrow, I’d try. I can’t imagine giving up on us so easily.”
“She wouldn’t cheat on you in the first place, and that’s the crux of it. If your love is strong enough to forgive them, then it’s strong enough for them to resist temptation.”
I nod. Do I think some couples can get past cheating? Sure. I’ve even seen some couples become stronger afterward. But that’s the exception to the rule, not the norm. Most of the time, once trust is shattered, it is impossible to put it back together again.
“Is it weird to admit I’m glad things turned out the way they did?
I mean, it sounds fucked-up, right? Alec is dead, and Mom and Dad have gone off the deep end.
But for the first time in forever, I feel like I can breathe.
I feel like I can just be me and not worry about everyone else’s feelings when it comes to my life. ”
“No, I get it. You’re seventeen, you’re the least selfish teenager I know.
It’s just not right. Now is the time when you’re supposed to be thinking about yourself, or you’ll be worn out by the time you reach thirty.
That’s why I won’t stand in your way when it comes to enlisting.
I want you to be happy. And the truth is, if Mom, Dad, and Alec were still a part of your life, I think you might have capitulated to their wants to keep the peace. ”
“Maybe.” She nods before looking at her watch. “You sure the guys will be okay with helping me pack up some things?”
“You know they will. It’s Saturday tomorrow, and as far as I know, none of us has anything scheduled.
So if we get started early, we’ll be done in a day.
No point dragging it out. Besides, I don’t trust them not to sell the house out from under you, contents included, out of spite.
Dad might say he’s sorry, but his actions and his words never seem to match up anymore. ”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll be glad to get it over with. It will likely be the last time I go back. I feel like I’m supposed to feel sad or something. But honestly, I’m just relieved that this chapter of my life is over.”
“I still wish it played out differently for you.”
“Don’t be sad for me, Banner. I’ve got you and Sorrow. I honestly don’t feel like I’m missing out at all.”
I grab her hand and squeeze it as Marcus walks in. He spots us and heads over, taking one of the empty seats at the table.
“Hey, you good?” I ask when I see the distracted look on his face.
“Huh? Or yeah, miles away. What are you up to anyway? And where’s Sorrow?”
“We were having lunch and I was telling Banner that I wanted to enlist.”
“Ah.” He doesn’t say anything else, already knowing I’ll find it hard, but that I’ll be supportive.
Hell, he probably knew that before I did.
I’ll admit, sometimes I can be a little slow on the uptake.
My first instinct is to protect. That means I often take over when the situation calls for me to take a step back.
“Sorrow’s gone to the cemetery. She wanted a little alone time to say her goodbyes,” I tell him.
“She’s okay, though, right?”
“Yeah. I think this is her way of severing the last of the ties. Which reminds me, are you free tomorrow? It turns out that Mom and Dad are gone and are selling the house. We want to get Katy’s shit out tomorrow before that happens.”
“No problem. I’ve got nothing on. Want me to round up the rest of the guys?”
“Yeah, that would be great.”
I turn to Katy once more. “You ready to go?”
“Sure. We meeting Sorrow?”
“Yeah. Marcus, you wanna come?”
“Nah, I’m meeting someone. Thanks, though.”
“Like a date?” Katy tilts her head as he shrugs.
“It’s just coffee. Less pressure on both of us that way. And if we like each other, then I’ll take her to dinner next.”
“Anyone we know?” I stand up and throw some money on the table, enough to cover the food and a tip.
“Not yet.” He smirks.
I shake my head. One day, someone’s gonna come along and knock him on his ass, and I for one can’t wait.
“Alright, catch you later. I wanna head to my parents’ place around ten, so tell those who want to come to aim for then, and I’ll bring breakfast for everyone.”
“Works for me. See ya, Katy cat.” He winks at my sister, who waves back before walking over to the door.
I follow behind her, nodding to Nina behind the counter as I pass.
“See you later, Banner,” she calls out as I’m leaving.
I beep the locks so Katy can get in before climbing into the driver’s seat. “So, I was thinking about the house.”
“Which house, yours or Sorrow’s?”
“Both, actually. I hated Sorrow’s house and all it represented for the longest time, but now…”
“Now it’s the reason Sorrow returned.”
“Exactly. Still, there are so many bad memories attached to it for Sorrow. I can’t see her ever wanting to live in it, which leaves selling it. But do we want neighbors that close to us?”
“Knowing our luck, we’d end up with some asshat like Brian Decker.”
“Who the fuck is Brian Decker?”
“The guy that missed graduation a couple of years back for getting caught upskirting a bunch of girls.”
“Upskirting?”
“Taking photos without permission up a girl’s skirt.”
“Are you serious?”
“You never heard about it? Oh crap, it was when you were working on that case in Florida. Anyway, Annie Davis was one of the girls he took a photo of, and when her brother found out, he put him in the hospital.”
“Annie Davis. Wait, is her brother Nico Davis? The guy who runs the Krav Mag classes at the community center?”
“That’s the one.” She grins when I laugh.
“Serves the fucker right.”
“Oh, I’m with you, believe me. Anyway, Brian left town for a while but returned just after everything happened with Callie and Blake. Apparently, he found God and a pregnant wife while he was gone, and now he’s house hunting.”
“You think the wife knows?”
“That he’s a pervert? Not a clue. Haven’t seen her, only heard about her.”
“Remind me to mention this to Blake. Seems like the kinda guy we should be keeping an eye on, especially with the police being all over the place right now.”
“Oakey, dokey.”
We’re quiet the rest of the way over, lost in thought.
Mine is on Katy’s letter. I can’t believe their answer to all the shit they caused is to run and abandon her like that.
How can they walk away so easily, especially after already losing one kid?
I’ve found myself in the weird fucking position of being disappointed in my parents.
And every time I think they can’t get any worse, they prove me wrong.
I get that people fuck up, lord knows I have, but I like to think I’ve learned from my mistakes. They doubled down on theirs.
I park outside the cemetery and climb out, cursing when it starts to rain. “Be right back,” I tell Katy, who nods, her eyes on her phone as she texts someone.
Walking through the iron gates, I head up the path before turning in the direction of Claire’s grave. As I get closer, I stop, turning a little. There’s nobody around. I head in the opposite direction to Alec’s grave, but frown when I see she’s not there either.
I keep going just in case she’s sitting somewhere and I can’t see her from the angle I’m at. By the time I’m virtually on top of Alec’s grave, I still can’t see her anywhere.
Pulling my cell phone out, I dial her number and wait.
When I hear it ringing, I smile. The grin quickly falls when I still don’t see her.
I follow the sound of ringing and find her phone just behind Alec’s gravestone with a crack across the screen.
I pick it up, my blood running cold as all the possible scenarios run through my head.
I can’t think of a single outcome where Sorrow would leave here without her phone, knowing I was picking her up.
“Sorrow?” I yell, looking around again. Nobody answers, but I notice someone on the path not too far ahead. I jog over to them and recognize Marty Jones, my old science teacher. He retired a couple of years ago after losing his wife.
“Hey, Mr. Jones, have you seen Sorrow?”
“How many times do I need to ask you to call me Marty, Jake?”
“Sorry, habit. So, have you seen Sorrow? I was supposed to meet her here.”
“I’ve been here about fifteen minutes, Jake, and I haven’t seen anyone else.”
“Shit.”
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know. I’ve gotta make some calls. Can you call me if she turns up?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks,” I call out, jogging back to the car. I pull out my cell and dial Blake.
“Hey, Banner. Everything okay?”
“No. Fuck, I don’t know. I went to pick up Sorrow from the cemetery, but she’s not here. She knew I was coming for her, Blake.”
“So maybe she was done sooner than she thought. She might have just headed off to find you first or grab coffee.”
“I found her cell phone. It’s cracked but still working. She wouldn’t have just left it behind.”
He’s quiet for a minute, but I can hear him moving around in the background. “She could have dropped it and not realized.”
I blow out a harsh breath because he’s right. Of course, he’s right. Why I leaned straight into something bad happening to her, I don’t know. But my instincts are going haywire, screaming at me that something’s wrong.
“Something isn’t right, Blake. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.”
“Fuck. Alright, I’ll call in the guys, and I’ll meet you there.” He hangs up as I reach the car and yank open Katy’s door.
“She’s not there.”
“What do you mean she’s not there?”
“I mean, Sorrow isn’t at the cemetery. I can’t find her, but I did find her phone.”
Katy bites her lip, looking anxious.
I pull out my keys and hand them to her. “Drive back to the diner and grab Marcus. Tell him what’s going on. Drive around with him, see if you can find her. Blake’s on his way here now with some of the guys. I’m going to call Wade and see if he’s seen her.”
“Okay, I’m on it. Call me when you find her.”
I nod, the words when rolling over in my head. It has to be when, not if.
I move out of the way as Katy gets in the driver’s seat and heads off, leaving me to call Wade.
When Wade tells me he hasn’t seen her, I want to throw my fucking phone in the road and stomp on it. I don’t think I realized how much I’d hoped she’d been arrested, for once. He hangs up after telling me he’ll talk to the other cops while I call Olivia.
“I haven’t seen her Banner. And I’m with you, she wouldn’t just leave if she knew you were coming. Yes, she could have lost her phone, but she’d have texted you before she left to tell you she was heading your way.”
“Even if she’d forgotten and left, she’d have made it to the diner by now. Marcus is there. She’d have spotted him and asked him to call me so I didn’t worry.”
“Alright, let’s think about this logically.
The town has not got it out for Sorrow, you know that, right?
Nobody is going to hurt her because they’ve all seen the truth, and most people want to kick their own damn asses, not Sorrow’s.
The only people who haven’t changed their tune are—” She hisses as I suck in a sharp breath.
“My parents.”