“You helped her through it then?”
“Yeah, I did my best.” Feeling my face flushing, I turn away and watch the portal elevators being fed with containers until I’ve composed myself. Then I face Jax and say brusquely, “Why haven’t you told her?”
He lifts a lazy eyebrow. “Told her what?”
“You know what. Stop acting dumb.”
He stiffens, his features hardening. “She knows I work for monsters now. That’s enough.”
“She wants the whole story Jax, she’s sick of you side-stepping. And what’s more, I fucking agree with her.”
“Wow, you’re into the deep and meaningfuls already, are you? How cozy,” he sneers.
I grind my molars. Jax can be a real prick at times.
“Stop deflecting. You need to tell her what happened to you,” I growl.
Jax glowers at me. “She’s trying to find her feet, she doesn’t need any more shit to process.”
“It’s worse for her not knowing.”
Jax fingers his vape. “Ignorance is bliss.”
“For fuck’s sake man, she knows something’s weird about you.”
He barks a laugh. “She’s always known I’m weird. But what you don’t know, ‘cos you don’t know our story, is that Clem worshipped me when we were kids and I—I fucked all that up when I got into trouble with the authorities. She had no mom, then Dad got sick and died, and then she had no brother either. She had to shoulder everything herself because I was stuck in a fucking school for delinquents. She doesn’t need all the sordid details.”
“She’ll love you regardless.”
“Really?”
We stare at each other. Not sure how to respond to his tirade, I segway. “Clem told me there’s no proof your mom is dead. That she just disappeared one night.”
“Mom would never leave her kids. Not by choice. You understand me?” His face darkens, and I see one hand fist on his thigh. “I let Clem believe Mom might be alive somewhere, because she needs to hold onto hope.”
“Perhaps you should hold onto hope too.”
“Yeah, right.” Jax sneers. “I could believe in unicorns and happy ever afters. But you know what? I learned a long time ago that none of that shit exists.” He places his vape between his lips and inhales raggedly.
I remain silent, thinking. Maybe Jax has a point?
My mom steadfastly believes that our dad is still alive. That he’ll come back to us. And yet, she’s given up on living, hasn’t she? She barely talks, and sits staring out of the window. Just waiting… patiently waiting.
My siblings are scattered around the Labyrinth, refusing to face the truth. Our family is shattered, a shell of what it used to be.
Maybe giving up on hope is the right thing to do. To close the door, so that you can move on with your life.
Dang it. Grief is so fucking complicated.
Who am I to give advice?
I pull myself together.
I came here to insist Jax tells Clem everything. He may not be the perfect kid she grew up with, but he is still very much alive. And he’s all the family she has left.
“You’ve got a sister who cares about you,” I grit out. “One who wants to spend time with you, and who won’t judge your sorry ass for anything in your past. Frankly, in my opinion, Clem is way too fucking good to be your sister.”
Jax’s brows arc up at my vehement tone.
