you lost them.”
I swallowed against the emotions trying to crawl up my throat. “Thank you. I am, too.” My heart hammered in my ears as if the organ lived there. “It was my brother. He killed them.” The group went completely silent. The only sounds were the crackles and pops of the fire. “He tried to kill me, too. It’s why…” I searched for the right words to explain without having to reopen every wound. “It’s why I try to keep a low profile.”
“He’s not in jail?” Griffin asked, his voice hard.
“He was only eleven when it happened. He got out a few months ago.”
Caelyn gasped. “Shay. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine.”
I took a sip of my soda. “He’s very sick. But good at pretending he’s not.”
Bell leaned forward, her blond hair glowing in the light of the fire. “What can we do?”
My eyes burned. I pretended it was from the smoke of the fire. But deep down, I knew the truth. They burned from the tenderness of the offer. And because I was the one who had kept myself from this kind of support for so many years. By keeping my distance from every single person who had offered friendship.
Brody seemed to sense the battle within me, the way he sensed everything and pulled me closer against him. “You’re not shutting people out now.”
I nodded and met Bell’s gaze. “He doesn’t know where I am. But if someone ever asks about me in town…” My blood chilled at the thought. “Let me know.”
“Of course,” she said.
Ford wrapped an arm around Bell’s shoulders. “We’ve got your back. Whatever you need, just let us know.”
Caelyn patted my knee. “Anything. Just say the word.”
Hunter nodded. “No one’s going to hurt you here. We look out for our own.”
And I was one of theirs. A member of this pieced-together family. One that wasn’t linked together by blood but by choice. And wasn’t that the greatest gift of all?
Brody steered the conversation away from serious topics and back towards the everyday. We talked about plans for the summer. Beaches to visit and hikes to take. Caelyn shared plans for the island’s Memorial Day parade. How the kids would all participate, and the fair that took place afterwards.
In the three years I’d been here, I’d never attended. Even when the Dowds had gone. But this year, I vowed to go. I’d watch the adorable little ones make their way down Main Street. And I’d stuff my face with funnel cake. I’d hold Brody’s hand for the whole town to see and kiss him under the starlight. I’d soak up every beautiful experience this place had to offer. And I’d do it, knowing I had friends who had my back.
36
Brody
I carried a stack of plates into the kitchen. Hunter, Griffin, and Ford all eyed the family room where the girls had gone to join in on movie night with the kids. I could hear an occasional giggle and squeal as something took place on the screen.
Hunter took the top plate from my stack, rinsing it and placing it in the dishwasher. “You want to give us the full rundown? Tell us how we can help?”
I should’ve known they wouldn’t let such a huge revelation pass without further discussion. I wouldn’t have either, not if the person affected was so close to Shay. I strained my neck to see into the family room. Little Mia was in Shay’s lap as they watched kids fight pirates on the screen. I didn’t think Shay would mind if I shared more. She’d shown tonight that she trusted these people. And, God, I was proud of her for taking that step.
I turned back to Ford and Griffin. “Her brother’s mentally ill. A conduct disorder with callous and unemotional traits. I’ve done a little digging on it, and that’s the politically correct term for a psychopath. They’re hesitant to dump that term on kids.”
Griffin grunted. “Understandable. He ever get treatment?”
“From what I’ve gathered, their parents tried over and over to get him help. Psychologists and psychiatrists. Medications and behavioral therapies. He was hospitalized repeatedly. And they had just found an in-patient treatment facility before their deaths.”
Ford leaned against the counter, shaking his head. “What happened?”
I knew more of the details from what Dante had found as opposed to what Shay had shared. I got it. I couldn’t imagine how painful it would be to relive those moments. What she’d seen and experienced. The swift punch of rage took me by surprise.