Page 80 of This Blood That Breaks Us

“I thought it would hurt less if I cared less. But joke’s on me, it hurts either way.”

“I hate you,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because you’re too much like me. It’s like looking into a fuckin’ mirror.”

I scoffed. “I’m way prettier than you.”

“You wish.”

We were trapped in hell, and I knew right where we’d descended to. Battling each other on the top of the River Styx and doomed to one day fall to the bottom in sullen gloom. I was so angry I didn’t recognize what it felt like in my body anymore. It was part of my DNA. Like I’d been born with it, but I knew that wasn’t true. Mom said I was a baby who never cried. That I was perfectly content with noise and even the loudest thunderstorm couldn’t wake me. She said I was kind and calm, and in daycare, all the sitters loved me because I was an angel to be around.

Dad changed it all. That was before he liked to come around and thought it might be fun to kick around his own kids. He left before Aaron and Presley could even remember what he looked like. I barely remembered until he came back one day when Luke and I were seniors in high school. The bastard showed up unannounced on Father’s Day.Like we would roll out the red carpet for him or something. I would have beaten him to a bloody pulp with our baseball bat if Luke hadn’t stopped me. It didn’t stop me from taking that same bat to our room and destroying our furniture and all my old martial arts trophies.

I thought I wouldn’t be able to recognize my father if I saw him again, but that was impossible because he looked like me. Same hair color. Same scowl. Same anger.

“Can you promise me something?”

Will’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Alright.”

“Promise me you’ll try your best to get Thane out. If I turn into a zombie, I need to know someone is looking after him. Luke, I already know he’ll do that. But I need to hear it from you.”

I scoffed. Annoyed that he’d even ask. Thane was the least of my worries, and I’d like to keep it that way.

“I know you love to hold a grudge, but Thane is a good guy. He doesn’t deserve to be here.”

“He’s the reason I’m sitting here right now.”

“He was manipulated, like you. That’s why you hate him so much.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I know how much you love blaming yourself for shit that isn’t your fault. You can’t forgive Thane because that means you’d have to forgive yourself.”

“What are you, my therapist?”

“I’ve lived a lot longer than you. You were both manipulated.”

“No. I should have known better. Ezra was a stranger. I should have never trusted him or let it get this far. If I didn’t, none of us would be here.”

“You were a kid.”

“No. I should have—”

“Zach. You. Were. A. Kid.”

“Yeah. I guess I was.”

I remember the relief I felt when we met Ezra. Like he was going to magically solve our problems, but he caused them. My family would have been better off without him.

“No doubt the most annoying asshole kid in Brooklyn.”

“That’s what they tell me.”

“I still hate you, by the way. If we ever get out of here, you’ll never see me again. I’m sailing away to the tropics.” Will smiled as he finished the last of his drink.