Page 83 of Incompatible

Is this really the end? Are those four people really gone, the ones who hurt me, taken out along with the ones who started it all, all of them wiped off the face of the earth.

Am I free, as Ennio mentioned?

It suddenly occurs to me…

Maybe it’s my decision. It’s up to me now!

What comes next, how the next stage of my life unfolds.

I wander around the garden for a while, conflicting emotions pulling at me. I feel like crying and at the same time like screaming and laughing, because they’re erased. Those rotten bastards are dead, and now it’s time to change everything, time to shake off the chains that held me down.

And exactly then my phone starts ringing again.

It’s Alex.

"What’s up?"

"Listen, my dad has some urgent trip, I’m staying home alone for the weekend, maybe you’d like to come over? We could have a fun little hangout?"

I hesitate. I’ve never spent the night at Alex’s before. Should I?

Does it mean something? An opportunity to change something? To push my life onto a new, better track?

Unsettling, but in a strangely tempting way.

"Sounds good, I hope my folks let me go."

I head to the kitchen where my dad is talking to Jordan, and Snow and Rain are sitting there too, snacking.

"Dad, Alex just called to say his dad’s leaving him alone for the night, he has to take care of some work stuff, and I’d like to go over for his safety," I add, because I know it’s a solid argument.

Snow lifts his gaze and locks it on me. Rain shoots me a sideways look. After the summer he’s heading to high school too and acts like he already knows all the secret knowledge of the universe.

Dad watches me for a moment, then says,

"Alright, just don’t do anything risky, Bay."

Rain hides a smirk, making sure Dad doesn’t see it, and raises the fingers of his left hand forming an O, then usesthe index finger of his right hand to make a thrusting motion through it.

I give him the finger right away.

Dad turns toward Rain, but Rain’s face is all innocent and his hands drop to his sides in an instant.

"Me? Have I ever done anything risky?" I ask out loud, though of course in my head I’m well aware that killing people definitely counts as highly risky.

Dad tilts his head with a small, slightly uncertain smile, then says, "Alright, but remember we trust you, and Alex’s dad trusts you too…"

I roll my eyes lightly, and just sigh.

After the meal, I take a shower, change clothes, pack a few things into my backpack, and for some reason… I also take my diary.

My pink Alex diary.

Then I get into my car and just as I’m about to close the door I notice Snow standing nearby.

He’s looking at my car…

"Something wrong?"