Page 149 of This Blood That Breaks Us

Those pieces of string had been uneven and tattered, but not anymore. When I gazed upon my brother’s face, I felt the pull, and any imbalance shifted in our tether.

We were all equal. One heartbeat. Finally whole.

Presley looked different. His blond curls were darker. Dull. And he stood barefoot in a suit. His feet and legs were covered in mud. How had he found us? Why?

“Why is he filthy?” Sirius said to Henderson, who was waiting at the door.

“He took off as soon as the plane landed.”

Presley wasn’t looking at me or Zach while we sat in a puddle of blood on the floor.

He was looking at Her.

I almost didn’t remember our fight, but I remembered trying to struggle against the fog and move toward my brother’s voice. He’d felt so far. I reached for him but couldn’t quite grab hold of him.

Sirius smiled. “Family reunion.”

I should have been angrier, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the golden boy in front of me as he walked toward Her. My little brother was here.

“You didn’t tell me,” Ezra said.

“You didn’t need to know. Didn’t need the twins mysteriously disappearing again.”

“You knew? This whole time you’ve known he was coming?” Zach said.

They continued to banter back and forth, but I wasn’t listening.

I didn’t remember who Luke Calem was. I couldn’t remember how to be anything that wasn’t attached to Her. Like being sedated, I’d been smothered under a cloud, but when I looked at Presley, that cloud dissolved like vinegar in water. Suddenly, I could see him. Like I hadn’t been able to see anything for what felt like a long time. The numbness wore off, and I could feel again. Like he fixed something that had been broken.

He closed the gap to Her with graceful ease. His feet sloshed through the black pools of ink on the floor, and he left a trail to Her.

There was barely any light left in his eyes.

She smiled, holding Her arms out to him as if it were a joyful reunion. Her hands grazed his cheek, and a tug of war began in mind.

Get away from Her, some feral part of me screamed, and a growl almost slipped through my teeth, but then I gazed upon my brother’s face and his curly hair.

No. Get away from him.

Presley spoke softly, “Hi.”

He was completely enamored. Her hands continued to survey him, and he obliged with laughter and snuggled close to Her like a lost puppy. His gaze darkened when he kneeled in front of Her and rested his head on Her thigh.

“You’re so beautiful. I knew you would be.”

Jealousy burned me from head to toe, but it couldn’t stay. It was strong but not stronger than the growing fear bubbling up from my stomach and freezing me in place. I understood the runaway train Will talked about. I reached for the rail using all of what was left of me to hold on. My brother. My sweet, innocent little brother was in danger. I knew it even while being tethered to Her. Even while loving Her with everything that I was.

Presley chuckled and I remembered that little rambunctious kid with his whole life ahead of him. He told me he wanted to beon TV. He wanted to make people laugh, and all I wanted to do with my life was make sure he got to do that.

I missed him. I was sure I missed him.

Get away from my brother.

Her gaze shot through me, and she smiled. She knew. This was all Her plan.

Zach helped me up off the floor. His expression had hardened. He glared at Her through his lashes. All muscle and rage and reverence.

I nodded and he nodded back. No apologies needed. Things were right again.