Once we reach the group, Silas moves to stand by his dad while I step off to the side, not wanting to get in the middle of the reunion. Mila looks like a young teenage girl, her long hair is light brown, and she has a warm smile on her lips. I notice the wheelchair next and my own smile falters. Saylor is on her knees in front of her sister, holding her around the waist, while Mila runs a hand over her sister’s hair. Both girls are crying, as are Mrs. Saffran and Oaklynn. Matt and Mr. Saffran stand off to the side and watch, their faces stoic. My gaze lands on Ciaran next, who looks miserable and angry as he watches his girlfriend fall apart. Kai doesn’t look much better, his gaze moving back and forth from the sisters to Oaklynn.
I glance at Silas one more time and see the concern he is trying hard to push beneath his exterior, while he also watches the girls. His dad is next to him, and I swear I see him wipe his cheek. There is a deeper meaning to what I’m witnessing here and I feel almost like I’m intruding. Taking small steps backward, I’m able to sneak away and head up to my room. My heart is pounding by the time I get there. Emotions I can’t name swirl in my gut and expand in my chest until it hurts to breathe. I don’t get how that scene caused so much pain in me, but it’s almost unbearable. I need to get away, to remember I’m not part of a family. Before I can process my next thoughts, I reach for my phone and shoot a text to my tormentor, letting him know the latest development. Hopefully it will also keep him from reaching out to me for a while.
In a daze, I grab some dry clothes and head to the shower. I crank the heat up until the mirror fogs and I can’t see my own face anymore before climbing in. I crumble to the floor and hug my legs tight, fighting against the tears and pain threatening to explode from inside me.
Silas
“Are you still over here sulking?” Kai’s voice breaks through the silent vibe Ciaran and I have been sitting in for the past hour. Both of us silently studying the two girls sitting out on the patio, but for very different reasons.
“I’m giving them their space,” Ci responds, his shoulders shrugging while he tips his beer back and takes another drink.
“Ci, it’s your girl and her sister. They aren’t going to mind you being by them,” Kai explains, before lowering himself into a chair next to us.
“Saylor hasn’t spent time with Mila in months that wasn’t outside a hospital room. I’m letting them adjust.” Ciaran sighs and pulls the bill of his hat down, shading his face.
“And what’s your excuse?” Kai turns his questioning gaze to me. I grit my jaw, hating how intuitive he is all the time.
Yes, I’m avoiding Saylor and Mila. Ever since Mila arrived last night, I’ve tried to keep my distance, while also feeling protective of them at the same time. It’s a weird feeling, and my body feels like it’s being pulled in two different directions. Saylor is my half sister and that alone is a lot to wrap my head around. Mila may not be related to me by blood, but I still care about the kid. I grew up with no siblings, had no one to worry about, and no one who was worried about me until the guys came along. I don’t know how to do the whole sibling relationship thing and neither does Ciaran, which is how we ended up on the deck, covertly watching the girls.
We aren’t the only ones. My dad has been circling more often. In and out of the house. A couple times I thought he was going to approach them but then he changed his mind and headed for the garage instead. Guess I’m not the only Montgomery man tied in knots right now, swimming in a circle. Reed has also taken an interest in watching the girls. It’s weird but harmless. Reminds me of how he was when Saylor first got here last year.
“You know you both look creepy, right?” Kai smirks as Ciaran leans over to punch him in the shoulder.
My gaze narrows. Kai is my friend and my brother, but he has no idea. “Don’t you have your own issues to be worried about?” I nod my head in the direction where Oaklynn and Raina are laying out on towels, sun tanning.
Kai’s eyes harden and I see him try to shut off his emotion. “Nothing bad has happened. Everything will be fine and after the summer, she’ll go home,” he says as if he’s trying really hard to believe that keeping these secrets won’t affect their relationship.
“Right. Well, when you figure out what you’re going to do when that plan blows up in your face then come talk to us about dealing with our shit,” I throw out before standing and grabbing my beer. People are outside everywhere today, enjoying the sun, but I need to get away. I need silence, and honestly, I need to just breathe.
I take one of the riding paths and follow it until I get to a small grove of trees that overlook the lake down a small cliff. I’m out of sight and hearing distance. I feel alone, which is what I’m used to, and it’s almost comforting. I slip my ear buds in and silently tap my fingers on my knees to Papa Roach’s “Sunrise Trailer Park.” We’re facing too many unknowns. Every day, it feels like we’re waiting for something to happen. Summer should be relaxing; instead, it feels suffocating. Three months until we leave and yet I can’t imagine leaving Rogue with the way things are.
I’m so lost in my own head that I don’t notice her approach until she’s right next to me, her purple hair brushing against my arm. “Ciaran send you?” I ask, my voice sounding more gruff than intended.
Saylor side-eyes me. “No. I came on my own.”
Silence stretches between us. I start to talk then stop myself each time. I can feel the back of my neck turning red in frustration. I don’t know what to say. No clue about why she came to find me.
“If you’re worried about me saying anything to Mila,” I start to say, before she gives me a small smack on the arm.
“She already knows, big brother.” Saylor smirks. My eyes widen. I hadn’t expected that. With how medically fragile Mila’s situation has been, I wasn’t sure how she could take any more news. “I don’t lie to my sister. And going forward, I won’t lie to you. I think we can all agree that the secrets in the generation before us played a hand in where we are now.”
I nod my head in agreement. “Sucks.”
“Yeah, it does,” she replies, her eyes softening when she looks me over. “Which is why I won’t make my mom’s mistakes. Mila knows as much as I do. We’re working through it.”
“I hope you can,” I tell her, my words completely sincere. Everything with Calvin is a mess for them.
“So how do you feel about having two sisters?” she asks suddenly. My eyes swing back to hers. She’s watching me closely. I don’t even know how to respond or what that means. Saylor takes pity on me. “Mila wants to adopt you as her brother too. Since all three of us are tied up in our parents’ mess, she says we need to stick together. She wants to get to know you more. We both want to get to know you and Jason.”
My throat bobs with emotion, and my eyes feel heated. I’m not even used to one sibling let alone two. I think about Mila and her fierceness and it makes me smile. I could get used to them both and that terrifies me at the same time. I manage to nod my head, my eyes falling to the floor because, fuck, my eyes sting now. “I’ll try,” I tell her, my shoulders lifting in response. “I’d like that.”
Saylor smiles again, and I swear I hear her let out a sigh of relief. A few minutes pass with us enjoying the view, when her phone buzzes. She rolls her eyes when she answers, so I assume it Ciaran. “I’m heading back, you coming?”
“Nah,” I tell her. “Just need some time to wrap my head around some things.”
Her eyes wander over my face and I let her read me, something I rarely do with anyone except Kai and Ci. Finally satisfied that I’m alright on my own, she turns to leave. Two steps away, she stops and turns back before wrapping her arms around my waist. The hug is brief and short, and she laughs when she pulls away, speed walking back the way she came. Once I can’t see her anymore, I finally expel the air from my lungs. I rub a hand over my chest where my heart thuds almost painfully.
“Those girls have that effect on everyone I think,” my dad says, stepping off the trail from the other di
rection. My gaze narrows and he holds his hands up. “I didn’t hear anything except her asking if you’re coming back.”
He keeps his face expressionless, and even if he was lying, I wouldn’t know it. With a shake of my head, I turn back to the water, not caring if he’s leaving or staying. My jaw clenches slightly when he comes to stand right next to me.
“Look, Si,” he blows out a breath, a hand coming up to cup the back of his neck, “truth is, I don’t know how to navigate from where we are right now. I know I wasn’t the best parent when you were growing up and I know you really don’t need me now. I just want you to know that no matter what, I’m proud of you. I love you, son. I hope you and Saylor can find a way to get along despite our histories.”
“I don’t know either, Dad,” I tell him, turning slightly to face him. “I don’t know how to do normal family. We’ve never really done that and it’s what Saylor and Mila are used to.”
He nods thoughtfully, his teeth biting into his lip. “I don’t think there is a perfect answer. We just be here and try to be what they need.”
“I guess,” I respond, my hand coming forward to brace on the wood railing.
“Matt and I think we aren’t as free of what was happening as we think. Nothing has happened yet but Matt has a feeling. Maybe even up here we aren’t as safe as we hope we are,” he confides in me, his voice lowering. I turn to him, and he lets me see the fear that flashes in his eyes.
“Dad—“
“I’m not telling you this to freak you out or to tell you what to do. I want you to know so you guys can always plan backup wherever you go. Nothing has happened yet,” he explains further.
“But you and Matt have a feeling,” I point out.
“Matt is usually right,” he states, before looking around us on the trail. “Just be safe. We can’t be paranoid, but we can be cautious.”
“Yeah,” I respond, and he claps me on the arm before he starts heading back toward the house. “So truce for now? We just take things step by step this summer and be there for Saylor and Mila?”
He turns and smiles, his head tilting. “Sounds good, Si.”
I watch his back retreat farther away from me. Once I’m alone, everything feels wrong this time. My chest feels too full and it’s making me jittery. I take off into the deeper part of the trail, where I know eventually it will lead me to the dock. Hopefully by then, everyone will have cleared out or gone inside to eat. Obviously, the trail wasn’t as secluded as I previously thought. I end up jogging, half-jumping my way down the hills to where the sand starts. The sun is starting to set and a slight chill is picking up. The breeze blows across my skin and goosebumps rise on my arms.
I come to a halt once my feet touch the sand. A lone figure sits on the dock, taking up the space I was hoping to claim for myself. I’m about to turn away when their hood falls back and long, shiny, black hair whips around in the breeze. Raina. I’m instantly drawn in, a feeling I can’t explain, when just a second ago, I was trying to escape being social. I don’t know if it’s the way she holds herself, as if sheltering her insides, or the pain in her eyes when she looks out across the water; either way, it’s a siren call I can’t leave alone. I reach the dock and hop on, before she even notices me. Her chocolate eyes widen once she does. For some reason, I feel the urge to be in her space and choose to sit right next to her.
“You know, I really had you pegged as the silent, anti-social type,” she quips, her words full of sarcasm, and I smirk.
“Usually.” I shrug, and she huffs a little next to me. I glance over and notice the worn paperback in her hands. “Chamber of Secrets?” My brow lifts.
“Are you telling me you’re a Harry Potter fan?” Her eyes squint while she studies me.
“Would it surprise you if I was?” I ask.
“Surprise wouldn’t be the right word, but I would think more highly of you, as the series is a classic and I’ll fight anyone who challenges me,” she answers.
I can’t fight the smile that tugs at my lips. “Favorite book?”
“Easy, Goblet of Fire. It’s a huge turning point of the series and catches everyone off guard. How about you?” She turns toward me, giving me her full attention.
“If I tell you, then I get to ask you a question,” I barter and enjoy the way she seems to rise to the challenge. Pink flares on her cheeks and her eyes sparkle. Finally she nods. “Chamber of Secrets.”
She scoffs. “For real or is that the only one you can name since it’s sitting right here?”
I laugh, my eyes narrowing. “For real. The basilisk and Tom Riddle coming out of the diary. Amazing.”
Her gaze dances over my face, assessing my answer before her lips smash together and she laughs. “Well-played. Guess you aren’t all brawn.”
“Now it’s my turn.” I turn to her again, forcing all her attention on me. Nervously, she tucks her hair behind her ear, before fidgeting with the edge of the book. “What’s your real name?”
Her eyes snap to mine. “Didn’t you read my file?”
I shrug. “I read over the basics. I want to hear it from you though.”
She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth and I can see the way her mind is battling with itself inside her head. “Lux,” she finally breathes out, and I can see the way she flinches as if expecting to be punished at any moment.
“Okay,” I tell her. “Do you not like it?”
She chuckles. “I always liked my name. I just know that girl is dead now. I thought I could get in trouble talking about it.”
I don’t even know why I’m asking. Of course I read her file. It just felt as if she owed me a piece of herself after I gave her one of me. Lux. Lux Anderson. She called herself dead and she is right, that is how it should be. No one should know about her real identity. We usually don’t even pay much attention to past names, so we don’t mess up. I needed to know though, to hear it from her mouth. The only person that changed for was Saylor and look how that turned out. I’m about to answer when a speed boat starts heading toward our dock. I jump to my feet and pull Lux up with me, shifting so that my body is angled in front of her. The boat curves before our dock, water spraying up, followed by a chorus of guys laughing.
“Hey Raina,” Oliver calls from the boat and the other guys wave and make catcall noises. My jaw clenches, and my hand wraps around her wrist.
“Oh, hey,” she says back, waving and giving him a smile.
“We’re heading over to the point, want to come?” he asks and my brow lifts. “Unless you’re busy,” he adds, with a douche bag smirk, almost insinuating she’d never pick to hang out with me over him.
My gaze clicks on each one of them and I recognize them right away. Lincoln, Thomas, Isaac and Mateo are intently watching the exchange. Fucking guys from Robin Lake. They all look like they coordinated outfits, with their colored Polos and shorts.
“Actually Silas and I were just heading back to the house,” Lux responds, surprising me and shocking the hell out of them. “Ready?”
“Sure.” I nod and follow her lead. She waves one more time then starts walking to the house. I can feel their stares on my back and minutes pass before their engine starts back up and they takeoff, jetting over the water.
“Softball rivalry, right?” Lux turns to me, her eyes searching. Lux. Now I’m even referring to her by her real name in my head.
I smirk. “Something like that.”
She snorts. “Oliver is a good guy. I just get the feeling he’s flirting with me sometimes, and with all the lies, I’m just not in a good place right now.”
I hate that she says he flirts with her, but I push it aside. “I know the feeling. Relationships do not go well for us Montgomery men. Being unattached makes having to leave easier.”
“I don’t know everything, but Saylor did say she is your half sister.” Lux shrugs. “Is it weird I’m happy I’m not the only one who is okay without doing the relationship thing? I feel like everyone is paired off.”
“You
are not alone,” I respond and keep my laugh low.
“Friends?” She stops, turning to face me.
My eyes take in the hopeful look on her face, the way her eyes plead with me to agree, because this girl needs someone on her side. I know enough about Lux to know she’s been let down too many times. How she’ll ever trust again, I don’t know. Here and now, though, I can give her a little of that back. Friends. Something I can do and since she isn’t expecting or asking for more, I won’t be able to disappoint her.
“Friends,” I say back, my voice gravely. Lux doesn’t notice. She gives me a real smile before turning on her heel, grabbing my hand, and pulling me to toward the house. What the hell did I just do?
Lux
“Lux!” Saylor’s whisper-yells, and her hand on my arm startles me awake, my heart racing while I blink through the darkness, only to be blinded by the light on her cell phone in the next minute.
“Wha--”
“We need to go.” Saylor throws a hoodie up on the bed and my ratty pair of Vans on the floor.
I swing my legs over the bed and step into the shoes and throw the hoodie on. “What’s happening?”
Saylor holds up her cell phone, a red dot flashes and a text message lights up.
WARNING. ROGUE. ACQUIRE TARGETS. WARNING.
I don’t understand, but I follow behind her, before realizing we’re forgetting something, or rather, someone. “What about Oaklynn?”
She looks back at me, her eyes flicking to where her best friend sleeps before shaking her head and wrapping a hand around my wrist. We step out into the hallway and run into Ciaran, who’s holding a hand gun in one hand and leading Reed behind him. His gaze slides over to Saylor, as if the short time she was in our room she could have been hurt, before motioning us to follow him. He stays close against the wall, ready to shoot if necessary. I keep quiet, even though the blood is rushing in my ears and my heart feels like it may beat out of my chest. I need to know what is going on.
#SummerGirl Page 5