lay sprawled out on the ground like a starfish, face pressed into the carpet. Glass littered the ground, and a mark on the wall nearby looked like someone had thrown a cup against the wall and it shattered. The back door was open, admitting warm spring air through the house in a current.
Jayson was immediately on his radio, spouting out commands I could barely process. He held out an arm to keep me back as he walked up to Talmage, glass grinding under his boots. Dispatch said something back as he reached toward my brother.
“Talmage, buddy,” Jayson called. “You with me still?”
My heart felt like a rock in my chest as Jayson reached for Talmage's neck. An interminable wait followed before Jayson turned to his radio and said, “Dispatch, I have a male, thirties, probable overdose, need priority EMS to my location.”
He turned to me with a calm demeanor and said, “Stand back for just a bit, Serafina. Help is on the way.”
21
Benjamin
“What's wrong with you?”
Maverick cuffed me on the side of the head, or tried to, but I blocked him with my forearm, then glared. He glared back.
“Nothing,” I growled.
The Diner sprawled around us with the quiet clink of glass and murmur of patrons. A game played in the background and the hiss and sizzle of what smelled like bacon drifted from the back. We sat at our usual booth across from Maverick. I felt surly as a bear after a sleepless night worrying about Ava, and Serafina, and the ghosts of women that couldn't stay in the afterlife. Maverick had ignored my annoyance that he wanted to lunch at the Diner today and insisted we come anyway. Still, I searched for Serafina, even as I feared finding her.
Dagny approached. “Where's Sera?” I asked her.
She gestured with a nod outside. “W-went somewhere with Jayson for her lunch break. He wanted t-t-to talk to her about something.”
Maverick's eyebrow rose. My stomach turned cold.
“Hernandez, you mean?” I asked.
Dagny nodded, then turned to Mav. “Coffee?”
“Usual, please.”
She disappeared before I could order water, but I knew she'd bring it. All of them knew everyone's drink preferences here. Small town life drove me nuts the way it pigeonholed people with familiarity.
What the hell, Hernandez? I thought, even as relief mingled with the suspicion. Serafina wasn't here now so I didn't have to awkwardly confront her about my coldness last night. A momentary reprieve until I figured my own mind out. But now I couldn't stop wondering where she went with Hernandez.
“You are a mess if you think she's doing anything like that with Hernandez,” Mav muttered. “Serafina has the hots for you the likes of which I haven't seen since I found Bethany.”
“I never said a word,” I snapped.
Mav leaned back. “What. Happened.”
This time, not even hammering my problems out with my fists had helped. I'd hit the bag for three hours between last night and this morning and Sadie still haunted me. This time, she brought Serafina with her. What did I say to Serafina after all this? What was the welling dread in my chest everytime I thought about her now?
“Sadie,” I finally muttered.
Maverick grimaced. “Ah.”
While I related Serafina's story, his expression only grew more grim. “I hate to speak ill of the dead, but man am I glad she's gone.”
“I can't believe she did that.”
“I can.”
Dagny returned with our usual salad and sandwich combo, but my appetite fled. I poked around my salad and tried to summon excitement for it, but all I tasted was cardboard. With a sigh, I shoved it out of my way and put my head in my hands.
“You're wrecked, brother,” Maverick said.
“I'm not.”
“You're wrecked for Sera and you think she's going to turn into Sadie.”
“You're making this crap up,” I said with a surge of rage. “Serafina is no Sadie.”
Unbothered by my glower, Mav simply picked up his sandwich. “I know that. Serafina knows that. Ava maybe even knows that. I don't think you know that.”
His self-righteous smugness made me want to put a fist right into his teeth, but I schooled it back. I knew that Serafina wouldn't turn into Sadie. She didn't have it in her. But maybe I did.
The distant ring of a phone peeled through the air, and a cook in the back barked that they'd get it.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
Maverick laughed, which only made me rage worse. Trust a brother to find something funny in this twisted situation.
“It's not just about Sera,” I said. “What the hell am I supposed to say