Page 70 of Severed Heart

“I’m learning that. It’s just that your delivery is just a bit . . .” He trails off.

“You won’t offend me, but I know what you’re not wanting to say. That I talk like abitch.”

His eyes bulge. “Not a bitch, just bold with your word choice, more like ...brash,” he says.

“Brash. I like that. I ambrash.”

“Unapologetically,” he confirms before biting his lip and nailing me with his soul-filled stare, “but you should know that’s why you’re often misunderstood.”

“I don’t care if they understand,” I declare defiantly.

“That’s admirable,” he says, and I sense his curious stare but glance over to see his eyes on his bobber.

“Not admirable. My brash honesty has cost me much, but I still see no point of being sooverly carefularound the truth.”

“Trust me, I’m annoyed myself. Both my parents have been tap dancing like fucking professionals around the truth for years now.”

“You can talk to me about it, Tyler. I, too, strugglevery muchwith forgiving my own papa for unforgivable sins he committed. I won’t be brash to you about this.”

“Hey.” He commands my attention. “Don’t ever tap dance around the truth with me, Delphine. I would fucking hate it.”

I nod.

“So, these unforgivable sins he committed, you mean you and Celine’s dad?”

When I shake my head, Tyler’s eyes widen in shock.

“Celine was not my true sister. Her father was my father Matis’snephew.”

“So, that means Dom and T aren’t really your nephews, but yourcousins?”

I nod.

“Holy shit . . .” His mouth gapes as he stares at me in shock. “Dotheyknow?”

“I told Dom that day in the snow.” He nods. “And I told Ezekiel some of my past before he left for school in France, but this is a secret I share with you,only you. A new best friend secret.”

“I won’t tell a soul, Delphine. I promise.”

“Merci.” I inhale deeply as I scour the grounds. “Relation doesn’t matter anyway, Tyler. Celine became a sister to me in my heart.” I palm my chest. “She accepted me as I am. The filthy, brash orphan dumped on her parent’s doorstep. She loved me as I was, and in return, I loved her the same, so we had the sister relationship she wanted us to have. I care for my nephews the same way, and relation will never matter.”

“I get it ... but you just said orphan?” I tense at this. “Can I ask what happened with Matis and to your mother?”

I bite my lip, and he nudges me. “Hey, some other time, then. We’re here to fish today and get out of our heads, so let’s do that, deal?”

“Deal,” I say, turning my face up to the sun. “Deal, private.”

Not long after, my bobber goes under. We spend most of our day fishing, and to my delight, when the fish don’t bite for Tyler, he reports the catfish have turned lazy, preferring the cold water of the bottom, no longer trying for the worm. To him, I report he’s a terrible, lazy fisherman, which earns me a scowl. Just after, he takes me on the Ranger to explore some of the orchards. Our plan is to cast lines again after sundown when it has cooled enough in temperature.

For some of the day, we shoot what guns he could gather, and I surprise him by taking the tops off several plastic bottles he lined up yards away.

“Shit,” he says, “remind me not to piss you off.” He bulges his eyes, which has me laughing before I again take aim and fire.

“It would be good for you to try for marksman certification,” I tell him between shots.

“Are you?” he asks curiously.

“I was never a real soldier, so I never tested.”