a time—it felt closer to the heart when my feet journeyed the property.
In honor of that feeling, I walked along the lake, putting space between the group and me. The only reason I had escaped from my cabin earlier was to find Brando, to talk to him, but like last night, he was lost to me.
A perch jumped from the water, probably searching for a mosquito to eat, halting my pace. It jumped twice more before deciding to stay under. I continued my slow stroll.
After our stop at the all-night market, we had stood close, just to make sure the sheriff and his merry men wouldn’t follow us, and after some time, when we were sure they were long on their way, we left.
The silence between Brando and I had stretched, hardened into an iron wall, even after we had made it to the property. Once everyone had been directed to their cabins—Violet insisted that the girls stay together in one cabin and the men in another—I had waited for Brando to come to me.
He never did.
I couldn’t stand the chatter and laughter and everything else, so I took my things and brought them to another cabin, the cabin I had always used while visiting, in the early hours of the morning. Violet didn’t protest; she still flanked Penny as though the girl held every answer to every question she ever needed answered.
The night had not been kind to me.
The vision of Brando being assaulted by Sheriff Stone became a waking nightmare. The memory haunted me, angered me, and downright disgusted me. More than any of those things, it saddened me.
All of this time Sheriff Stone had blamed Brando for Nick’s death when it was me who couldn’t save them. The panic I had felt that night had not been directed toward my brother, but at Brando. Through this “gift” I had tried to save my brother, too. He had refused to stay put.
I had yet to come to terms with Elliott’s death, but I had made peace with the fact that no one was truly to blame. No drunk or sleep-deprived driver. It was an accident—one that didn’t have a villain to blame. If the fault rested with anyone, it was with the city. They could’ve done something to make the crossings safer for people like my brother, but they didn’t.
A pain in my palms made me glance down. Without conscious though, I had balled my fingers into a fist, my nails digging into skin. Just the thought of someone treating Brando the way the sheriff had treated him last night made tears of anger come perilously close to falling from my eyes.
He didn’t deserve that. He had lost too.
Violet whistled at me, motioning that the group was going for a walk. I pointed toward my cabin, having no plans to spend time with them.
The refrigerator and cabinets were stocked with the food I had bought, so I decided to cook instead of mope. It was one way to keep my mind occupied. Taking out all the ingredients I needed for chicken potpie and chocolate cake, I set the scene even further with measuring cups and utensils, pots and pans, dishes and an apron. I turned on the oven.
The front door creaked and then closed. I turned my back, not wanting Violet to see me so muddled. I waited for her to speak, but when she said nothing, I turned back, thinking that I had imagined the sound.
Brando stood next to the counter, his hip against it, his arms crossed over his chest. He motioned to my outfit with his chin. “You look tough. You must feel tough too.”
I raised my chin to his outfit, which was the male version of mine (except he had on jeans instead of leggings). “So do you.” Despite his proximity, I stood next to him and fiddled with all the ingredients on the counter. “And I’m not sure. Am I feeling tough? You tell me.”
“You almost got me killed last night.”
My mouth fell open before I snapped it shut. “How so?”
He ignored this question. “Or put away for the rest of my life. But Stone would love nothing better than to have a legal excuse to kill me. You gave him one.” The muscles in his forearm tensed, the veins there rising with his temper.
His words set me into motion, and I raised my hands, flour flying everywhere. “I couldn’t sit by and just watch while he…while he abused you!” I shook my