Page 58 of Long Lost Winter

Cal got up abruptly.He stalked out of the dining room, but it wasn’t just anger that was driving him, it was something else.He had that haunted look on his face.Far more than fury.

Aly moved to get up, but Landon held on to her hand.“I’ll talk to him.”

“Landon.”She had that helpless look in her eyes that Cal seemed to put there on the regular.

Usually, Landon didn’t fight her on trying to soothe Cal even though he knew it hurt her.She was the only one Cal didn’t try to pick a fight with.

But he wasn’t looking to pick a fight—or let a fight be picked with him tonight.“I think it’s my turn,” he murmured.He squeezed her hand in reassurance.“I won’t make it worse this time,” he promised.

Then went to find his brother.Going toward the hurt instead of away from it.

Hoping like hell that was the right answer and not just another disaster.

*

Cal stood inthe bathroom, gripping the sink.It had to be some kind of flu.There was no way there was… more.The nausea, the throwing up, it was aphysicalsickness inside of him.Not more memories.

If he remembered more, he didn’t know how he was supposed to stand under the weight of it all.

Glenda was the root cause of this.Something about that woman… it fucked everything inside of him up.

Why had he trusted Nate?He should have… he should have… Cal squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.Too late now.Now he had to deal with whatever this was.

His stomach wanted to heave again, but he ruthlessly shoved that physical reaction back.

He heard the door creak open, cursed himself for forgetting to lock it in his rush to hurl up the contents of his dinner.

He wasn’t surprised someone was checking up on him.Hewassurprised it was Landon.

“Thought it’d be Aly,” Cal said.He knew he should release the sink, straighten, pretend he was okay, but he couldn’t manage.“She’s usually the go-to Cal whisperer, isn’t she?I won’t chew Aly’s head off.Send her my way.”

Landon leaned against the door jamb, studying Cal with critical eyes.“I drew the short stick.”

He was joking.Cal knew he was joking.He didn’t appreciate it.

“You don’t look well, Cal.”

“Stunning observation, Landon.”

“What is it?”

Cal laughed.Bitterly.“What iswhat?”

“Like are you sick?Did you remember something?What is this?”

Cal let out a slow breath.His stomach still roiled.His head was starting to pound.Hefeltsick, and he remembered nothing.“Look, I’m just as fed up with my own bullshit as you guys are.I don’t need… whatever this is.”

“We’re not fed up, Cal.We’re all concerned.”

“Same thing.”

“It isn’t.I’d tell you if it was.”

Cal glanced up at Landon.He believed that.Landon might have unclenched a little since he’d finally gotten together with Aly, but he wasn’t one to blow smoke up Cal’s ass, even these days, that was for sure.

Landon looked like Dad in this light, except neverreallylike Dad, because despite all Landon’s uptight, asshole nature, there washumanitysomewhere in Landon.In his eyes, the same color as Dad’s.In his hands, the same shape and size as Dad’s.Maybe it was Mom’s blood, beating in there somewhere, saving them both from their Bennet fates.

They’d been bitter rivals most of their lives.They had never once understood each other.And Cal had mostly felt… superior all those years.Better than Landon and his choice to chain himself to this fucking hellhole.Better.Smarter.More successful.