Page 52 of This Blood that Bonds Us

“No, I mean with Kimberly. He’s being ridiculous.”

“Ah.”Zach plopped down on the bed and rested his head on his hand.“This doesn’t have anything to do with Ellis, does it?”

I stopped folding my clothes on the bed.“What? No. Why would you say that? I haven’t thought of him in forever.”At least thirty minutes.

“Hmm.”Zach watched me with those piercing laser eyes, like he had cut me open and started dissecting my insides. He had little pliers to pick out all my hidden parts, like that board game with the loud noises. He was really subtle about it.

“Don’t do it. Don’t psychoanalyze me. You know I hate that.”

“I’m not.”

“I know you and Luke sit around all day and worry.”

“Do not.”

“Well, maybe you should be talking to Aaron. Someone’s gotta tell him how brainless he’s being. Kimberly is the perfect girl, and he’s going to ruin it. He’s going to ruin his chance to have a relationship with someone who is literally his soulmate. He doesn’t even see how lucky he is. It’s like talking to a wall. A big stone wall that doesn’t do anything but just stand there and listen to no one and . . . Uh, I don’t where I’m going with that.”

There was silence while Zach watched me fold shirts terribly and made no effort to correct me.

“It’s okay, you know . . . if you want to be angry.”

“How did you get that from what I just said?”

He sat up, letting his shoulders fall.“Changing you took a lot away from you, and that’s our fault. I know, especially right now, dating is pretty out of the picture with everything going on. I’ve thought about it. How . . . I’ll never get married. No chance of having kids. So, it’s okay if you want to be angry at me.”

“I’m not angry.”

“You’re not angry at Aaron for having something you don’t?”

“I’ll be angry if he leaves her. Wait.”I held up my finger and pointed.“Ah. you’re doing it! I said no.”

He smiled.“I’m just saying, if you want to be mad, it’s okay to be mad at me. I can take it.”

“Why would I be mad at you? It’s not like any of this is your fault.”

“It is my fault,” he said quickly. Cleverly leaving little room for argument.

“Well, too bad. I’m not mad at you.”

He got up and hit me on the shoulder. His equivalent to a Luke bear hug.

“If you ever want to talk about that thing that didn’t happen with Ellis, I’m all ears.”

How did he even know? Leave it to Zach to recognize something as seemingly insignificant as my monster crush on my formal date in Blackheart.

I pulled myself out of the recollection before too many of the memories crept in. My chest already hurt. I didn’t need to make it worse.

Aaron thought I was the younger brother with no perception skills, but I could be helpful like everyone else. I was good for more than sitting around in my room waiting for things to happen.

I dialed the number, with the heat still in my cheeks. Pacing the cabin floor, I waited as the phone rang.

Maybe I was wrong. It wasn’t something Aaron would do, that’s for sure. Aaron would tell me to burn the note or something. Rubbing my chest right over my heart, I didn’t see any other alternatives. If things fell through, I was the only one who might have a way to find them.

When a voice sounded on the line, chills ran down my spine.

“Hello?”

“Is this Presley?”