Page 93 of The Devastation You Reap

“Anytime. We’ll all need each other once the season starts and our men spend all their time playing with balls.” She winks.

“Don’t they do that all year round,” I deadpan.

She bursts out laughing. “I like you, Macie. And I think you’re going to be really good for Lee. He’s been going through some shit, and I think you might just be the light he needs.”

“We’ll see.”

“We will. I’ll see myself out.”

She slips from my room and I fall back onto my bed with a smile on my face.

It feels good after the frown I’ve been walking around with since yesterday morning wondering what I did wrong.

19

Leon

“Hey,” I say, slipping into the sterile hospital room and closing the door behind me. I hoped she’d be alone seeing as Peyton was still at the house with Luca when I left.

Libby’s eyes narrow on me as I step further inside the room. I didn’t expect her to remember me. It’s been years since I saw her last. Although I can confidently say that I don’t look as different as she does. It’s clear from her face alone that she’s been to hell and back recently.

“Leon,” I say. “Luca’s twin brother.”

“Y-yeah,” she stutters. “I know.”

She sits herself up in the hospital chair that looks out over the trees and forest in the distance, but right now she’s not taking in the peaceful vista, instead her eyes are tracking my every movement across the room.

Dropping down into one of the chairs on the other side of the room, leaving the bed between us as I sense she needs the space, I turn toward her.

“How are you doing?” I ask, genuinely interested in her progress.

“Things could be worse. Rumor has it I might be getting out of here in a few days.”

“That’s great news. Are you heading to the facility Luca organized?”

“Yeah.” Lifting her hand, she scratches at her forearm. Something tells me that she’s not even aware she’s doing it as her eyes hold mine. “Let’s hope it works, hey?”

“Well, you’ve got a pretty incredible little boy hoping that it does.”

All the air rushes from her lungs as I mention her son, my half-brother.

“You’ve met him?”

“I have. He’s incredible.”

“Against all the odds, hey?”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Libby. None of this is your fault.”

She scoffs, clearly a long way from being able to lay all the blame for this whole fucking nightmare at the person who deserves it.

“I was a stupid, naïve little girl who fell for every trick in the book. I was almost eighteen, I should have seen it a mile off.”

“He had a game plan, Libby. I doubt he’d have failed. That’s not on you. It’s on him. Manipulative cunt that he is.”

She stares at me, a million questions swimming in the depths of her eyes.

“I hated him long before I found out about all of this,” I confess, answering one of those questions. “You’re not the only one who’s bore the brunt of his manipulation.”