Endless Lies (Lies #6) - Ella Miles Page 0,36

the house.

Everyone is standing on the porch, looking at us with somber expressions as we pull up. My heart bleeds as they walk over, not ready to face what happened but knowing I don’t want to push them away either. The only thing worse than facing my grief is facing it alone. Luckily, I won’t have to do that.

I’m engulfed with hugs as I step out of the car with Declan in my arms. I’m afraid he’s going to wake up with everyone hugging us, and I’m going to have to introduce him to everyone. I’m going to have to talk—that’s not something I’m capable of at the moment.

Declan sleeps through it all, and it makes me wonder what he went through before to be this exhausted.

As we all walk into the house, I know I need to make some decisions—where I want to sleep, where Declan should sleep, if I want Rose and Atlas to come to greet me. Yet somehow, I never have to make a decision.

Enzo leads the way, opening doors and speaking solemn commands to Zeke and Beckett. Kai and Siren walk on either side of me. Siren’s strokes Declan’s hair, soothing him when he starts to stir until he falls back asleep.

I don’t know what’s happening until I enter the house and see the living room has been turned into one giant mattress. All the mattresses in the house have been brought down, along with pillows and blankets thrown everywhere.

“We’re going to all sleep down here together. No one has to be alone tonight,” Siren says.

It feels right.

For the first time, I truly look into the eyes of all of my friends. All of them are dripping with tears. They were Liesel’s friends. They felt the loss too.

The men start carrying the kids down the stairs. It’s past their bedtime, so they’re all groggy. If they wake up, they probably won’t remember moving downstairs.

Enzo and Zeke lie their kids down on one of the mattresses on the side, and then Kai and Siren carry down Atlas and Rose. Atlas stirs awake in Siren’s arms.

“Dad?” he says, but his eyes are still closed.

“I’m here. Sleep, we can talk in the morning.” I kiss his forehead.

“Okay,” he yawns.

I walk over to Kai, who is holding Rose. I kiss my daughter’s forehead as well.

They place both of the kids on one of the center mattresses. I walk over and sit down next to them with Declan still in my arms. I’m not sure I can let him go tonight. I don’t want him to wake up afraid.

Then I spot Phoenix on the outskirts of the room. She searches the room for her brothers, but she’s not going to find them. I need to tell her what happened.

I lie Declan down next to Atlas, careful not to wake him, before walking over to Phoenix.

We stare at each other, unsure of how to act. Our relationship is strained; I’m not sure if it will ever be repaired.

But right now, we both lost the most important people to us.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“I’m sorry, too,” she croaks back.

Then we collapse in each other’s arms, both grieving enormous loss. Everyone else is crying, but not like us. We each lost a piece of our souls, not just a close friend. There is no consoling us; I don’t know how we’ll ever stop.

Somehow we have to stop. I’m the kids’ father, and as far as Rose and Atlas are concerned, she’s the only mother they will ever really know. We have to find a way through this pain. We have to find a way back to them.

Someone must have moved us both to a bed because the next thing I know, I’m cocooned with my kids on one side, Phoenix next to them, and Siren on my other. The rest of my friends, my family, sleeping on various mattresses around us.

Despite my grief, the strong pull of slumber eventually pulls me under, granting me a moment of relief, at least until the morning comes and I have to endure all over again.

19

Langston

“Are you dead?” Rose asks, pulling one of my eyelids up.

I wince at light hits my swollen eye.

“No,” I reply.

She’s sitting on top of me, tilting her head to the side as she studies me. “Sick then? You slept past lunchtime.”

I frown.

I should have woken up earlier. I should have been there to explain to my kids what happened the second they woke up. Instead, it’s day one without Liesel, and I’m already