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Nurse B’s eyes twinkled. “You don’t say?” She turned to look back at me and a chill ran up my spine. “My, what a small world.” I tried to shake the feeling, but I couldn’t. I could only stare back at her dark, depthless eyes. “A small world filled with fateful people.”

I cleared my throat and stood. “Thank you for treating my knee, Nurse B. And sorry for bugging you two so early, but I’m–I’m going to go.” God, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

“Alright counselors, listen up!” Nurse B shouted out to the staff as if we couldn’t hear her.

She was only standing three feet away. Willie stood by her side as his whistle hung from his lower lip.

He looked at Sandy and winked. She smiled and blushed back.

Nurse B noticed and whacked Willie’s arm.

He nearly choked on the whistle as the counselors all tried not to laugh.

“As I was saying.” Nurse B turned to look back at us.

She had all the counselors, including Solomon, lined up outside the administrative cabin.

We were all dressed in our uniforms and ready to greet the campers.

Nurse B was giving a speech about the do’s and don’ts of being a counselor, as well as reiterating the rules she expected us to follow.

Willie followed her up by handing us our camp rosters, summer schedules, and a map of the camp.

The camp was even larger than I expected.

I had no idea how far it stretched or that we had an arts and crafts building, a storage building, or even a well.

It was both nerve-wrecking and exciting.

Willie clapped his hands in excitement. “Now, we’re about to wave the campers in.

Once we do, you are expected to help them find their ways to their cabins.

Once everyone has unloaded their gear and luggage, we expect all campers and counselors to meet in the cafeteria for introductions.

Any questions?” We all shook our heads. “Alright then. Let’s do this shit!

” Nurse B whacked him again before they waved the line of yellow buses in.

The buses drove beneath the entrance sign of Camp Redwood and waves of campers unloaded.

There were more kids than I expected, aging from what I presumed was as young as eight to as old as mid-teens.

They poured from the buses and tossed their bags onto the ground while clucking around.

I wasn’t sure what to do and looked over at Kaila and Sandy.

They were high fiving returning campers and welcoming new ones with vibrant smiles.

God, I wanted to be like them. So normal and full of life.

“Excuse me, miss?” I turned around to see a little girl tugging at my shorts. She looked to be maybe ten years old and had the brightest red hair.

I bent down and tried to mimic the smile I’d seen Kaila and Sandy use. “Yes?” I asked. She seemed a bit taken aback from the forced gesture, so I tried to soften it a little. “Welcome to Camp Redwood! How can I help you?”

The little girl hesitated. She eyed all my tattoos, and I just knew she was probably terrified of me. Fuck, I knew I should’ve worn a jacket or something. “Is that a dinosaur?” She pointed to a small tattoo on my thigh.

I glanced down at the old, faded tattoo. I’d almost forgotten about it. But remembering didn’t exactly make me feel better. “Yeah,” I whispered. My fingers lifted the hem of my shorts a tad to show her the whole thing.

The little girl read the name aloud and made a face. “Who’s Ozzy?” she asked.

I had to swallow my emotions. “Ozzy is— was my little brother.”

She tilted her head. “Did he like dinosaurs?” Her big eyes looked up at me.

“Yes. Yes, he did.” I tried to not cry, but I could feel tears swelling in my eyes. “He used to have them everywhere .” I smiled and a single tear fell from my face. I tried to wipe it away quickly to hide it.

The little girl watched me closely. “Why are you crying?”

I couldn’t tell her the reason. So, I did as any adult faced with an impossible question from a child would do. I redirected her attention. “Do you like dinosaurs?” She nodded excitedly. “Me too.” I smiled.

The little girl seemed perfectly comfortable and no longer afraid of me. “I hope I’m in your group.” She gave me a big hug. “My name’s Tabitha. What’s yours?”

I hugged her back and then crouched in front of her. “My name’s Aster. And I hope you're in my group too, Tabitha. We can be dinosaur buddies!” She gave me the biggest smile and rushed off towards the cabins.

Kaila and Sandy approached me. Kaila crossed her arms as Sandy spoke. “They’re so cute when they first arrive!”

“They sure are.” I smiled back at Tabitha as she skipped down the path.

Kaila laughed. “Yeah, just you wait. Give it a few days, and you’ll be begging for them to leave you alone. Trust me.”

The three of us laughed as I tried to stand.

I lost my footing, but someone grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet.

“Thank you—” I stopped as my eyes looked at who it was that helped me.

His dark eyes stared straight down into my soul, and I swear a piece of me died at the sight of him. “Sabbath,” I whispered. Fuck.

What the hell is he doing here?

Sabbath stood tall, wearing a sleeveless, ragged band t-shirt, and faded jeans with his boots.

His black hair was slicked partially back, and you could see all his piercings and tattoos, only there were more than I remembered.

He had a smug grin slapped on his face. I nearly fell back over, but his grip of my hand tightened.

“Long time, spitfire.” I ripped my hand back in horror.

My body went cold, and I couldn’t speak. Kaila and Sandy looked from me to him before they broke the awkward silence. Kaila cleared her throat. “Aster?” She pointed to Sabbath. “Are you going to introduce us?”

Sandy placed her hands on her hips. “We’re waiting, Aster.”

What the hell am I supposed to say? This is Sabbath, the man who claimed to love me, but instead killed my entire family and has been stalking me all over the country ever since?

Oh, don’t worry, he’s just a liar, an arsonist, a goddamn murderer, and a fucking batshit crazy person!

No, I couldn’t say any of that. Especially not here, in front of everyone.

I couldn’t just run away again, even though I really wanted to.

No, I had to control myself. Sabbath was dangerous, and he was smart.

I needed to figure out why the hell he was here and how he had found me.

But I couldn’t do it right now. I had to be smart.

I might not have been able to outrun him, but I could try to outsmart him.

Fuck, I really hate that he’s here. Why can’t this be another fucking nightmare? Wake up. Wake up!

“Aster?” Kaila’s voice pulled me back to reality.

I glared at Sabbath and realized the only thing I could say to make this not so creepy or awkward.

And I hated that I was about to say it, considering our past. “This is Sabbath.” He smiled at my friends.

“He’s my… stepbrother. Older stepbrother.

” My whole body shook in disgust. Kaila and Sandy got all bashful and red as they introduced themselves.

I watched him closely as they fawned all over his bad boy demeanor and remembered how I once did the same. God, he was so sick and twisted.

“Sabbath!” We all looked past him. A young boy, roughly ten to twelve years old, with black hair and blue eyes, came running up to him. My heart ached as I looked at him. He looked so much like Ozzy, only his eyes were lighter. Instead of brown, they were blue. Hell, they could be twins.

Willie shot from the administrative cabin and waved in our direction. “Hey, Kaila! Sandy! Come here for a second!” The girls waved goodbye and ran inside after him.

The little boy smiled as he held his arms out, and Sabbath embraced him so casually. They hugged, and I fell to my knees. It was like seeing Sabbath and Ozzy together, and the very idea nearly broke me.

Sabbath turned as he looked down at me. “Hey.” He put the little boy down and crouched in front of me.

“Not here. Not now.” I stared straight ahead and pictured my last memory of Ozzy, snuggled in his dinosaur pajamas and asleep like the little prince he was.

“Aster.” I ignored Sabbath. I hated him.

God, I fucking hated him. He stole everything from me, and now he was here with this Ozzy look alike, rubbing it all in my face.

How could he? How could he! “Rosie!” My eyes snapped up to him.

He was staring intently into my eyes, and for a second, it felt… caring. “Not. Here.”

I looked past him at the young boy. His eyes followed, and he sighed. “Who is he?” I asked. Tears strolled down my cheeks, and my hands curled into fists along my thighs.

Sabbath’s nostrils flared. “This really isn’t the time?—”

“Who is he?” I growled.

Sabbath’s jaw clenched. He stepped back and licked his lower lip as he tried to restrain his temper. “This.” He placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Is Foster. My younger half brother.”

My eyes widened. “Half brother.” Ozzy was his half brother. “Is he—” I trembled back to my feet as I looked down at the boy. “Is he?—”

“No.” Sabbath picked the boy up again. “He’s not your half brother. Only mine.” Why did that hurt to hear?

“How?” I asked. “Your dad… He’s dead.”

Sabbath sighed. “Don’t you think I, of all people, know?” A cruel reminder that Sabbath killed them all. Including his own father, my stepfather, and Ozzy’s dad. “He’s my mom’s.” Fate couldn’t be real because if it was, it was sick. And so unfair.

The boy laid his head against Sabbath’s broad chest and looked at me in an oddly chilling way. It made me a bit uncomfortable.

I shook the feelings from my body and looked back at the man who ruined my life. “Why the rose? Were you trying to give me some sick heads up that you would be here?” I had so many questions.