Page 49 of Wonder

And I don’t turn around.

I run straight for my brother.

20 – Alyss

None of us have breath to waste on words, even if we could speak with the distance between us.

One of them is always in my line of sight. Chess, Hatter, even Buck. They weave in and out, somehow forming a pattern that means one of them is always close by.

Buck twists, his head turning as the twin screams his brother’s name. Distracted, just for a moment.

The scream threatens to shred the few ragged pieces left of my heart.

Everyone is distracted by the agony in that scream.

Kayden.

And I can’t.

Ican’t.

Buck misses the moment that I move. My feet fly across the ground, blisters burning beneath the stupid patent shoes as I run.

Because Kayden’s twin isn’t turning. He’s not turning around, and they’re going to kill him if he doesn’t fuckingmove—

The bullet hits the ground beside us, dust flying up as I run straight into him, shoving him off to the side and praying he’s as adaptable as he was when I ran into him the first time. “Get away!”

Behind me, Buck is shouting my name. Chess and Hatter join him. I ignore them, twisting even as my feet keep moving and I dart around a tree, turning back in a wide u-turn as my eyes sweep the group, searching. My breath seesaws in and out of my lungs in painful movement as I spot Kayden.

He’s going to fall.

His knee is buckling with every step.

He’s going to fall. His twin will run to him, and they’ll both die for it.

For each other.

I can’t do anything. I’m not allowed to run with him, I can’thelphim.

Turn away.

But I – I can’t. Something about that scream, the agony in it, thefamiliarityof it.

Because I screamed for Adam that way.

I screamed for him, screamed until my vocal chords tore beneath the weight of my grief, but it was already too late.

The twin is turning again, twisting to look for his brother.

The seconds tick away. I’m running out oftime.

My feet speed up, pounding against the ground. I whip past the twin, running past him as I make a beeline to where Kayden staggers.

It’s not going to work. It’s a foolish, ridiculous idea, but Kayden grunts as I shove my arm around his waist. “What thefuckare you doing?”

He sounds livid. His weight leans on me before he tries to pull away.

“Don’t stop,” I snap. I take some of his weight. “Keep going! Make a circle.”