ask, focusing on the clouds moving, unsure who I’m talking to. “Why her?”
Darkness creeps into my soul. I take in a deep, shaky breath, knowing it won’t steady these thoughts. Not this time. Not in this situation.
I start walking again, my steps quick and light. I’m practically running toward his house. A silent fire burns inside me as my steps carry me through rain-soaked sand and gravel. Had I fallen so easily for him because of her? Dreams suddenly make sense, the connection, every tiny detail, one by one, strangling my heart… they make fucking sense. I can’t fathom the reasons he would have sought me out, though.
When I reach Fletcher’s house, I stop, my vision constricted by the drops of water in my eyes. Shaking my head, I swipe my sleeve over my face, blinking rapidly at the front door.
Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. Maybe my assumption isn’t right, but I had to see. I had to. I take the first step onto the weathered deck in need of care. My hands shake. I think my heart shakes. I knock, twice, and Fletcher answers the door, his expression off as if he’s guarding precious thoughts. “Darlin’? What are you doing here?” He motions me in, outside of the raging weather. “You shouldn’t be out in this weather.”
I remove my wet jacket, place it on the coat rack, and then look around the room. I’m not sure I see anything, but I do a quick sweep as if I’m silently taking in details I didn’t know existed before. My eyes train on Atlas, asleep on the floor, Coho next to him, and then on the wall of photographs. Athena’s picture stands out more than ever.
I slide my eyes to Fletcher. “Why’d you lie to me about it? You gave me this story that you wanted to make sure Avie and I were taken care of, but really it’s because I have Athena’s heart?”
His eyes betray him first. They soften, and it’s unfamiliar for him. I hear him swallow over the howl of the wind, clearing his throat in the next breath. “No, that’s not why.” Fletcher motions me in, the thick crackling sounds of the fireplace filling the silence between us. I look to the floor where Atlas is curled up next to the fire.
Maybe she’s why I feel so connected to this little boy.
I stare up at Fletcher. His eyes say more than his words. He doesn’t deny it, because there’s really no sense in doing so. I was born to live out a life that’s not mine. For her. For him. For them. Wringing my hands together, I pause, afraid of what comes next, but I ask anyway. “Then why?” I lift my eyes to his, bracing for the blow.
He exhales sharply through his nose. “Because I felt responsible for your parents dying.” He takes a long pause before his eyes find mine. I see his jaw moving, as if he’s grinding his teeth. Peeking at Atlas, still asleep, he regards me again. “That was my boat they were on, and my son Rhett was the captain.”
I catch my breath quietly. Fletcher walks past me and sits in his chair, next to a radio he has set up on the side table. My heart wedges in my throat, his words, and in a matter of seconds, his truth slices right through me. I step back, away from him. I can’t deal with this. Not now.
Fletcher turns his head in my direction and sighs. “I never meant to hurt you, darlin’. All I wanted to do was take care of you and Avie. Rhett was a good fisherman. One of the best, but sometimes, the sea has other plans for you.”
I don’t like the way he says other plans. There’s an eerie feeling surrounding it. I look to the radio, and then his tired eyes, begging me to see his side of it. I knew there were secrets surrounding my parents’ death. Avie kept that from me too, because he knew. You know goddamn well he knew. Had Lincoln known about this too?
“Avie knew, didn’t he?” I ask, my words shaking. I can barely stand up straight I’m shaking so bad. My eyes burn with tears and anger.
Fletcher hands me a blanket and insists I sit down. I do, in fear I might fall over. I see his jaw twitch. “He did.”
“And Lincoln?”
A careful nod follows.
My heart feels like it slips into my throat. This is wrong. Everything