“You know that sometimes I’m quiet. This isn’t about me. I promise. Don’t worry about me.”
He frowned. “I’m always going to worry about you if there is something to worry about.” He side-eyed me. “I miss her, too, but I don’t think that’s all that’s bothering you. Am I right?”
I stared at his handsome profile. “I love you so much. You know that, right?”
“She answers a question with a question. I do know it.” He touched my chin until I looked at him. “What is it, Red?”
“I don’t know.” That was the truth. I was just… off.
From his place in the corner, Dr. Trevor watched us for a second before he walked over. Standing so close, I could smell his cologne; it was dark, a little musky. He didn’t wear it in the office. “Are you two okay? For obvious reasons I want to check in.”
One of his two whatever we were calling them walked over and handed him a soda. He took it with a nod. “You two know my brother Kal, right?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
Phoenix grabbed his head, and all thoughts of Kal fled my mind. “What’s wrong?” I held onto his arm.
“I don’t know.” He bent over, grabbing onto his knees. Was he going to get sick?
He lifted his head, staring at Kal, breathing hard. We’d gotten a lot of attention. Everyone was around us now, including Eric who had a hand on his back. “Son?”
I’d never heard Eric call him son before. We were all a little bit off. It didn’t matter since we were here.
“I know you.” Phoenix stared at Kal.
The other man paled. “You don’t. Or you haven’t for years. I used to come to your house for summers before River died.”
‘No, I know you.” He stood up straight now. With my hand on him, I could feel his body vibrate.
Jeremy was to my left, his arms crossed over his chest. “Sounds like you don’t like him.”
“Phoenix?” It was Daniel who spoke. “What’s going on?”
With his gaze fixed on the ever paling man, Phoenix poked him in the shoulder. “You were there.”
The room fell silent. I didn’t think anyone could be confused about what he meant. I caught my breath. River was this man’s kid. Had he killed River and Walt? Tried to kill Phoenix?
“I… I…”
Phoenix shook his head. “Don’t deny it. I know you were. Not just you. The other man too. The one who stunk like bourbon. But you were there. Two others. You were in charge. It was blurry because you kept us drugged.” Phoenix was slightly taller than this man, but he was a teenager, and we were in a room full of adults. Still, no one moved except Phoenix who stepped into this man’s space like he had every right to be there. “You were there.”
Kal’s chin began to wobble. “It was a terrible mistake.”
“What was? Taking us? Killing them? Trying to kill me? Doing something to me in the hospital—you were there too—so I wouldn’t talk. What was it that you did?” He was shouting now. “It was such a dark place where you kept us.”
Jeremy grabbed onto the man’s shirt. “You hurt my brother?”
“I…” When Kal spoke this time it was to his pale wife and brothers. “It wasn’t supposed to go like that. No one was supposed to get hurt. No one. I took the kids. River wasn’t afraid because obviously it was me. Made it easier. They just came withme. Then I returned to the party. Yes, they were drugged. And everything would have been fine if they hadn’t fucked it up. They overdosed the kids. It was supposed to be so easy. I don’t know what happened. He didn’t need to do anything to them at all. They were sedated. That was it. An easy sleep. But he messed with the dose. And Phoenix got away. There was a struggle. You wouldn’t let them dose you again. You ran. And yes…”
“Why would you do this?” His wife shouted now. Dr. Trevor took two steps back like he couldn’t be near his brother. His other brother had his arms in front of him like he was trying to warn off the world. “You killed our baby.”
I couldn’t breathe just imagining this, but Phoenix looked strong. “You’re right. I got away. I ran for help, but I couldn’t find home because I was so confused. The one who smelled like bourbon, he hit me in the face. I was drugged and scared. I ran. And ran.”
“Why?” she shouted again.
“Because the Lents spoil everything. All of our development here? The things we dreamed about? The hotels? They’ve taken all that land. They own it and they do nothing with it. They live up there in their fancy New York life, and we are stuck here, and they won’t even let us develop our own land.” He was shouting now. “And her family hates them. Hates them because they blame them for all kinds of shit. I just wanted them to feel threatened. To shut down so they would stop what they were doing and concentrate on home. That’s what I wanted. I took the kids so it would seem like it wasn’t us. Since River got taken too it was supposed to be obvious it wasn’t us.” He was shouting at Phoenix now. “I hate being a doctor. I hate it. You never remembered. Just a little scopolamine.”
He shook his head. “Maybe it was the drugs, but you told me that if I said anything, then you would kill my family like you killed the kids and I just… forgot.”
