Page 18

I shook my head. “No, I just can’t take them without something to wash them down.

” Sabbath took a large hit off the joint and blew the smoke into the night air.

“What?” I asked. He immediately leaned down while he carefully pushed my head back and squeezed my mouth open.

Before I could process what was happening, he spat into my mouth and dropped the pills onto my tongue.

“Now,” he whispered as he forced my mouth shut.

“Swallow.” Without thinking, I did as he said.

“Good girl,” he purred as he smoked. I sat there in horror at what just happened.

He merely took another hit and grinned. “It’s just spit, Rosie.

And we both know you’ve swallowed worse things. ” He winked.

I wanted to vomit, but I knew I needed those pills, otherwise Nurse B wouldn’t have given them to me. So instead, I lunged forward and snatched the blunt from his fingers and took a large hit. Maybe too large.

“Easy.” Sabbath plucked it from my hand as I coughed hysterically. “That was too much, even for you.” He patted my back as I coughed and gagged on the stank smoke. I felt the drug roll through my body like a wave. God, I missed that feeling. “You good?” Sabbath raised a brow. I nodded.

The two of us sat there in the dark and just existed.

After a while, my head eased, and the pain slowly went away.

I just wasn’t sure if it was because of the pills or the weed.

But it was nice to sit there, even with Sabbath.

There was no talking or anything except sharing that single blunt as we stared off into the redwoods until there was nothing left to smoke.

Sabbath picked at the dead redwood leaves on the ground and spoke quietly. “I hear you’ve been using my name.”

What?

He looked over at me with a soft look. “My last name. Aster Sequoya. Has an odd ring to it, don’t you think?” I blinked. “Why is that?”

My shoulders shrugged. “I don’t know. The other counselors wanted to know my whole name, and I just panicked. I knew I couldn’t use my real name. For obvious reasons. Yours was the first one that popped into mind.” I picked at my shorts. “That’s all.”

Sabbath nodded gently. “You know, Sequoya is actually my mother’s maiden name.

” I looked at him. “I know. But after my father left us and married your mom, she stopped using his last name in regards to both herself and me. It happened so quickly. She removed his name from my birth certificate and replaced it with her maiden name. Sequoya.”

I had no idea. “That must’ve been hard for you, to lose his name.”

Sabbath shook his head. “Not really. My parents were estranged for most of my life. A difference of opinions is what my mother called it. But it was more than that. She was very religious… Still is, actually. My father, well… According to her, he strayed from the path. And eventually found a new one altogether. So, she erased him from our lives. I went from being Sabbath Batista to Sabbath Sequoya overnight, and from that day forward, I was taught to hate him. Not because he left. But because he destroyed my family.” He got quiet.

“At least, that’s what I was made to believe. ”

Strayed from the path. Where had I heard that? Oh.

“Foster said something similar about you earlier today.”

Sabbath looked at me with a smug look. “Oh, did he? Well, I guess he would.” He looked off into the redwoods.

“Did he tell you anything else?” I wasn’t sure if I should answer.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Sabbath sighed deeply.

“My family is so much more complicated than you realize, Rosie. I wish I could tell you everything.”

I shuffled closer to him and gently touched his back. “You can. As much as I may hate it, our lives are stuck in this tangled knot. And apparently, Foster has decided we’re all family. Hell, he even called me his big sis.”

He laughed. “Oh, Foster. What a fucking mess.” Sabbath fidgeted with the chain around his neck.

“When my dad left, my mother’s church took it as a sign of weakness on her behalf.

Claimed she pushed him away. My parents were extremely influential in their religion and considered to be some of the highest ranking church officials.

That is, until my father broke from the church and left my mother.

They shunned us and said that because she couldn’t keep her husband, that she had strayed from their core values.

They called her failed marriage corrupt and labeled it a failure.

Fucking bastards.” I could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke.

“So, they rejected us. My mother remained devoted to the church, despite her scarlet letter, and continued to do whatever she could to prove her loyalty. But it wasn’t enough. It never is.”

“I don’t understand. Your father left and the church just decided to blame your mother? Why? And why did they cast her out like some social pariah? I mean, it’s a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?”

Sabbath shook his head. “Our church isn’t like the others.

It’s… old. And very stuck in its ways. And had it been any other person, I don’t think they would have minded so much.

But my mother was different. You see, her family are descendants of the original founders of the church.

Our blood stretched back centuries. The expectations and predetermined fate laid before us has been written since the seventeen hundreds, Rosie.

That kind of pressure leaves little room for broken marriages and wandering eyes.

There’s no room for question and hesitation, or peace, for that matter.

And when my dad left, he set the whole church off balance.

He broke the balance. And until that day, I was supposed to be the next head of the church. ”

“What?” I couldn't imagine Sabbath as the religious type, let alone the head of any church.

He crumbled a leaf in his hand. “That all fell apart when he left us. The church went into a frenzy, and there was a war for power amongst the other head figures. Families argued and fought over positions, all while my mother tried to simply reclaim her birthright. My birthright. But it was impossible.” He took a second.

“I grew up hearing stories of what a horrible man my father was from everyone. But deep down, I couldn’t accept their words.

I couldn’t believe that my own father would abandon me and leave me alone to live with such a hateful and spiteful woman.

And that church? It’s no wonder he left. It’s corrupt and filled with darkness.”

I tried to make light of the moment. “Aren’t all churches?” He didn’t seem to think it was funny.

“No. Not like this.” Sabbath stood and squeezed the chain around his neck. “This church is filled with nothing but evil.”

I slowly climbed to my feet. “Then why stay? Why didn’t you leave?”

He turned and looked at me. “Because of my mother. As much as I hated her, I loved her. Still do. But when I was old enough, I ran away and went looking for my father. I wanted to confront him and ask why he left us. I needed to know. Only, while I was searching, I found you.” My eyes widened.

“I swear, I had no idea who you were when we first met. I just took one look at you and something in my soul snapped into place.” Sabbath turned as his body faced mine.

“And in that moment, nothing else mattered. Not my parents, the church, not even my own safety. Nothing except you, Rosie.” He walked towards me as I stepped backwards.

“I’d become so consumed with you. Being with you.

” My back hit the tree. “It was as if you were my purpose in life.” Sabbath stopped maybe an inch away and pressed his hands against the tree on either side of me.

His breath hit my face as he quietly spoke.

“I wanted you more than I had ever wanted anything else. I still do.” His face leaned close, and I quickly turned away.

“I know you hate me, but even now, I am absolutely fucking obsessed with you.” His mouth glided along my ear as my body shivered.

“I need you, Rosie,” he whispered ever so softly.

I slithered away from him and stopped a few feet from the tree. Sabbath groaned as he remained still. I had to force my voice to not waver as I spoke to him. “If you love me so damn much, why did you burn my house down? Why did you do all the awful things you did? Huh? Why did you scar me?”