"Yes, our driver's taking me and Brazen."
"Alright. See you, princess." He gives me a lopsided grin that does things to my stomach before walking away.
I stand in front of the building, nervously checking to see if Julian and Caspian are still around. But there's no sign of them, and when Brazen joins me moments later, even Dexter is nowhere to be seen.
"Why did you help me?" I ask my brother as we climb into the car waiting for us. "You didn't have to do that."
"I feel sorry for you," he mutters. "You're just in a sorry state, aren't you? You're gonna have to learn how to stand up for yourself. I don't have time to keep an eye on you."
"Nobody asked you to."
"Well, I'd say you should be pretty grateful I did."
I fasten my seatbelt, giving him a guilty look as I mutter, "I guess. Thanks."
"Don't mention it." He's already on his phone, not paying me any more attention. "And Pandora?"
"What?"
"Here." He tosses me a shirt from his gym bag. "You've got hickeys all over your chest. Put that on so father doesn't fucking kill you on sight."
"Thanks," I murmur.
There's got to be a reason he's suddenly being nice to me. I make a mental note to find out what it is, but for the time being, I remain silently grateful. Brazen fucking Oakes, the most unlikely of saviors proved to be the most capable one.
Fourteen
Dexter
One and a half years ago
I feel empty. Hollow. Numb.
My family has been wiped out by the fire that ruined everything. It’s all gone – my past, my present and future reduced to ash within hours.
All I have left is the girl I love. Lily Anna, sweet Lily Anna, who hasn’t left my side once since all of this happened.
She sat next to me on the hospital bed, curled up close when I shook and trembled, my body retching from all the smoke I’d consumed. She held my hand, she kissed me, she made it so much better. Yet I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to ever move on after the fire. How was I supposed to resume a normal life now that everything had changed?
“Son, the doctors dismissed you three days ago. It’s time to go home.”
I look up into the eyes of Emilian Oakes, Lily Anna’s father. He’s been celebrated as a hero over the past week for saving me from the raging fire that took my parents’ lives. He was humble, accepting the praise with a somber expression, knowing he could only save one of the Booths.
I groan as I push myself off the bed.
“I don’t want to go back home,” I mutter.
“You must,” Emilian speaks up, landing a heavy hand on my shoulder. “They have already begun the repairs on the house. You won’t even be able to notice what happened there after they’re done.”
“No?” I ask bitterly. “So, a fresh coat of paint and replacing the windows will just take everything away? I’ll just be able to magically forget I’m a goddamn orphan now?”
“I’m sorry, Dexter,” Emilian speaks up, motioning for me to sit down at the small table in the corner of the room with him. “Come here, I want to speak to you.”
Begrudgingly, I walk over to him and occupy the chair opposite his. I refuse to look at him. I’m still harboring hard feelings because he saved me, not my mother.
Everything could have been different. I could be dust – she could be here.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.