I am still hanging forwards, holding onto my knees as something else hits me like a bombshell.
What the fuck happened with Hazel’s body?
“Braxton,”I blur out.“When Hazel died, did you see where her body went?”
He swallows and as he does, I start to realize how bad of a person I am for not thinking about that earlier. For caring earlier. Her parents told me she died as a lie to keep her safe. Now, they have really lost her. Shame rises in my chest.
“You are not a bad person,”Braxton argues. I swallow hard, trying to push away the upcoming tears. He can tell me that, but I still feel like I am.
I have never looked for her.
And I haven’t even tried to do something for her funeral.
All I did was be busy with myself and I hate myself for it.
I hate Annie for putting us in that nightmare.
I hate Hazel and my parents for their lies.
I hate that fucking torturer.
I hate myself.
And most of all, I hate the king.
Rage bubbles in me.
How dare they. The king is the reason I am in this. I never had the chance to live. The reason I didn’t know about Hazel.
Even the reason to think about a fucking funeral for her when she died.
Before I can react out of my anger, Braxton tells me something that quiets my mind.
“I took care of her funeral.”
I repeat the words.
I took care of her funeral.
“Wait, what?”I sob out, trying to make sense of the words he just spoke.
“I knew you wouldn’t want her to be, you know, being taken care of the way the king does that with most people.”He shrugs like it is nothing.“So when you left me with Zephron I talked it through with him. He invited her parents to the palace at night.”He coughs, the words going softer with every word he says.
“They buried her in our garden.”
“Where?”I whisper, my throat too thick almost making it impossible to swallow.
“Under the pink prunus tree.”
The words leave his mouth in a stutter.
Right where she belongs. In nature. A tear rolls over my cheek.
“Thank you, you didn’t have to do that,”I whisper, my words vulnerable almost breaking. I close my eyes, imagining her being buried while my parents watched, standing next to Zephron.
“I know that is what you would have wanted, what Zephron would have wanted for her,”he breathes out.
My heart grows as I take in his words. He did it for his brother and me.
