1
HEATH
What the fuck?
Sebastian is messing with me. Ithasto be a joke. There’s no way he meant the words that left his mouth.
“What did you just say?” I ask again, to be certain that my hearing hasn’t gone impaired recently.
My best friend stands across the cell, shoulders drawn in tension and his face a mask of seriousness. There’s not a microscopic hint of amusement on his facial expression—which is a rarity for him. He’s always smiling and teasing me.
“Your dad is flying down from Toronto with a lawyer.” He chews his bottom lip before continuing, “He said he’ll be here soon. Your mother is coming too.”
I grip the metal bars tightly.No fucking way.
My parents are coming to Bellmare. After more than a year I’ll get to see them. The last time they were here it was Emery’s funeral. My mom wept herself a waterfall of tears until she didn’t have any left. Soon afterwards, she fell into depression and Dad thought it’d be wise for them to leave. Well, there were also the everyday fights between the three of us. They were—I don’t know what they were feeling, but I was raging at them. I blamed themfor Emery’s death—I still do. The three of us were mourning in our own way because that was all there was left to do anyway. Emery, a daughter and sister, was gone after a fierce battle with cancer. She lost. We all did.
“You shouldn’t have called him,” I murmur, thinking about all the ways it will go. Almost every possibility ends with a big fight and them leaving. Something I’m used to. They never stay.
“I know,” he says quietly. “But it was the only way. I talked to the officer and he told me that Alex Hanson pressed some serious charges against you—by the way, hold your tongue and don’t speak to anyone here. Also, don’t you dare raise your fists. We don’t want to make this situation any worse than it already is. You hear me, Heath?”
I’m not a fool. I know the gravity of the situation. As much as I hate to admit it, I am in a fucking mess—which I’m fine with because I don’t regret hitting Hope’s shitty father. Not one bit. Given the chance I’ll attack him again and this time I’ll do permanent damage.
“I’m fucking serious!” Sebastian gets in my face—as much as he can with the bars between us. “Don’t do it.Please.”
We stare at each other and the realization slowly sinks in.
I can’t fuck up.
I have to wait for my father dearest.
“I won’t do anything. I promise.” I tell him to put his worry at ease.
“Please don’t. I don’t want you to—” Agony flickers through his green eyes at the mere prospect of me getting into more shit.
In this moment, I understand just how personally he feels my emotions. My anger, pain, and frustration is mirrored in him, and while I know that, it’s my first time fully understanding it. I’ve always thought SebastianknowsI’m sad but he won’tunderstand. Apparently, I’ve been wrong all along.
“I won’t go to prison. Relax.” I glare at him to erase the ripples of tension between us.
He shakes his head, a confident smile taking over his face. “Like hell I’d let you.”
I smirk. “You’ll pull me out from the depths of hell?”
“I will, because you’re my best friend.”
I nod, which is equivalent to ‘You’re my best friend too.’ Sebastian grins and I feel content that he knows how I feel about him.
Without him I wouldn’t have made it this far. Without him I’d be all alone. Without him life would be a canvas of darkness and boredom.
An officer rounds the corner and stops next to him. He casts a displeased scowl my way before addressing Sebastian. “You’re his buddy?”
Sebastian nods.
“Then it won’t be long before you’re sharing the cell with him. It’s been a long time coming with how this one—” he points his thumb in my direction “—has been wreaking havoc since last year. I thought changing schools would knock some sense into him, but his ways haven’t changed.”
I glare at the office but Sebastian pins me with a glare of his own.Keep your mouth shut.
“Is there any way I can spend a few more minutes with him?” Sebastian asks politely, dismissing all the previous nonsense even though his nose is flaring.
