It’s been a long day of work, but I feel more settled with each sunrise and sunset. A great job, my brother by my side, the woman of my dreams, and a family I’ve made for myself—it’s damn near perfection.
Almost.
My brother parks the truck and silently gets out. He’s been quieter than usual, and the unease I’ve been trying to ignore starts creeping back in. Things are so good right now I don’t want to do anything that might push my life out of balance because I need it.
Even for just a little while.
I stare at my brother, assessing him as we stock the truck and put away what we won’t need tomorrow. I know he’s been having more migraines, but he’s been stubborn as hell about doin’ something about it.
I’m so lost in thought it takes me a minute to see Bodhi pull a white envelope from his back pocket and hand it to Case.
“What’s this?” Case asks, drawing Otto’s attention. Bodhi doesn’t answer, instead shoving his hands in his pockets and giving a single nod toward the envelope.
My heart rate kicks up into a sprint as Case tears open the crisp white paper, looking at the contents before handing it to his brother.
“It’s a formal letter of resignation. Effective at the end of this month.” Case’s tone is flat, and even as he says the words, my heart drops all the way to my mud-covered boots.
We’ve never been apart.
Not in over fifteen years.
It’s always been this.
We’ve always been like this.
It’s the only way I’ve survived.
Obscenities run through my mind, but I can’t make my mouth move. Can’t do anything but brace my hands on the truck as I watch the scene in front of me unfold.
“You want to talk about it?” Otto asks, his voice unusually calm.
Why is nobody objecting? Why is nobody saying anything?
I feel like I’m gonna be sick, and I just want this fuckery to end. I want it to be normal. I want to be back to the five minutes before when I thought my life was perfect.
Is it because I’m serious with Lana? Because we’re talking about moving in together?
“I’ve appreciated everything you’ve done for me. For us. But I have to go. It’s time I moved on.”
Me notwe.
“The fuck you do!” My voice is loud, disturbing the quiet of the Tennessee evening as three sets of eyes turn to look at me.
Bodhi’s gaze is somewhere past me, like he can’t stand to meet my eyes.
“There’s something I need to take care of and it’s best if I go.”
“I’ll go with you,” I say, conviction in my tone.
“No, you won’t. You have a family here.”
“You’remy family,” I snap, closing the distance between us and jabbing my finger into his chest.“You are my family,”I seethe, low and dangerous as I punctuate each word and push him back a step.
He takes it, his eyes still not meeting mine. His body’s tense, and his fists are clenched, but he won’t hit me.
I know he won’t.
And I won’t either, though I wish I could knock some fucking sense back into him. Because we are nothing without each other.
