“Wh-what?”
He comes over to me, slow and steady, crouching in front of my bent knees. “How can I help, starfire?”
I want to ask why he keeps calling me that.
Want to ask why he came back.
Want to ask what he can possibly see in a broken woman.
Instead, what comes out is,
“You can give me something better.”
Twelve
Colt
Her mouth clamps closed, as though she can’t believe she’s said that out loud, her cheeks flaring bright red, her eyes skating away.
Give her something better?
I’d give her anything she asked for.
So, it’s not even a second thought to say, “Okay.”
Now her mouth falls open, eyes going wide. “I—uh?—”
I cross over to her, extend my hand.
Those eyes go wider. “Uh…I’m…now?”
The scandalized look on her face almost has me smiling. “Let’s take a walk, starfire.”
She exhales. “Oh.”
Then she places her hand in mine, allowing me to draw her up, to guide her to the front door I intended to leave through, intended to go and to walk off this rage inside me. Yet I found myself not able to step across the threshold, not with her hurting in the other room. Pausing to snag her coat, I help her into it before I twist the handle and lead us out into the night air.
It’s cool and quiet, a thousand stars overhead.
Fucking beautiful, and even though it’s something I’ve seen many times over since I moved to Tahoe, the sight of that dark sky full of glittering diamonds is still one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
But it doesn’t even begin to compare to the woman who’s standing next to me, our hands linked.
Please don’t touch me.
I’m broken.
Yet, she’s here.
With me, courage and strength in that slender body that shouldn’t have had to shelter so much pain.
I’m so tired of this shit.
Carrying the weight of her past for too long.
Alone because she doesn’t want the world to know she’s still hurting, still coping.
Doesn’t want her brother to know?—
