Reclaim - Aly Martinez Page 0,53
feet, his red-rimmed eyes obliterating the tiny fraction of what was left of me.
“Oh, Ramsey!” I cried, racing over to him and throwing my arms around his shoulders. The second his warmth hit me, I dissolved into a puddle of hysterics. “What’s going on?”
When he was unable to return my embrace, he tilted his head to rest on top of mine. “Shhhh, it’s okay. I’m good. Everything’s fine. Just breathe.”
“Please tell me you didn’t really confess.”
His whole body turned to stone. “Nora, look at me.”
Never releasing him, I tilted my head back.
Tears welled in his eyes, but it was Ramsey, so he smiled through the pain. “I did because I’m guilty.”
“No, you aren’t,” I hissed.
“I am. That’s the way it has to be from now on. I killed Josh. End of story.”
I took a step away and stared at him incredulously. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I love you. You know that, right? I don’t say it enough, but I have loved you since the day you were born. And I know you’re fourteen now and think you’re all grown up, but you’ll always be my baby sister. It’s my job to protect you. I get it, I failed, and I will live with it for the rest of my life. But I can fix it.”
“You going to jail for something you didn’t do is not going to fix anything. That’s creating a whole new set of problems. I was the one behind the wheel of that car. I hit the gas pedal. I made the choice. This is my problem. Not yours.”
He sighed. “It’ll always be my problem because I wasn’t there when he did those things to you.” His voice cracked, but he cleared it and kept going. “I wasn’t there for Thea, either. But I can be here now. The Caskeys are powerful people. They will never rest until one or both of us are behind bars. So let it be me.” His long lashes fluttered closed with a mixture of regret and agony. “I saw Thea tonight. What he did to her. The marks he left.” He let out a low growl, shaking his head as if he could somehow erase the memory. “And now, knowing he did that to you too… Jesus, Nora. You’ve been through enough.”
He was right. I’d been through hell, but it didn’t mean I was going to allow him to take my place in the flames.
“I won’t let you do this.”
“I’m not asking for permission. It’s already done, but you have to keep your mouth shut.”
“I don’t have to do anything!” I yelled.
With his hands chained to the table, he couldn’t stand at his full height, but his large body swelled until it felt as though he were filling the room. “I won’t survive, Nora. If you push this and we both end up in prison and something happens to you, I will not survive it. I promise you that. I just need to know you’re okay. We can visit and write letters. Thea’s going to need you too.”
“Oh, God, Thea,” I croaked, crossing my arms over my chest to ward off the sudden chill. She would never be whole without Ramsey. “She’s going to hate me for this.”
“Which is why you can never tell her.”
“What?”
His voice became sharp with urgency. “You can’t tell anyone. Do you hear me? Not the cops. Not Dad. Not Thea. No one. Thea will look after you,” he choked and cut his eyes over my shoulder before he was able to finish. “And I know you’ll take good care of her for me too.”
“But—”
His gaze collided with mine. “For me, Nora. I can take care of the rest, but I need you to do this for me.”
“They’re going to put you in jail though. Do you understand?”
“I know. What is it you always say about choices? Everyone makes them? Well, this is my choice. And if comes down to choosing between you and freedom, I’ll choose you every single time.”
How did those words feel good and hurt so fucking much at the same time?
My head spun as though I were trapped in a maze that kept changing. “I can’t.”
“You can and you will.”
The door suddenly swung open. Officer Perry and his tobacco-yellowed teeth appeared on the other side. “Time’s up.”
“No,” I breathed, the mere thought of leaving him there igniting me into a frenzy. “No. No. No. Just a little longer.”
“Sorry, kid.” He grabbed my arm and gave me a tug toward the door.
My