I turn around, giving them my back as Chase steps up to us, wrapping his arms around Cherry’s shoulders and wrenching her in for a hug. Cherry pulls back, smiling up at him. It’s delicate and soft, yet strong. She’s mastered the art of masking her pain that fucking well, and it’s terrifying.
I clear my throat, then I ask Chase, “I was wondering if you would-” I’m cut off when I feel a hand clap down on my upper back. Spinning around, I find Tyler at my side. His dark eyes areglossy and full of remorse. He steps away slightly and shoves his hands into the front pockets of his black ripped jeans.
His head drops between his shoulders as he stares at his black combat boots that he scuffs lightly across the artificial grass. Cherry slides past me and wraps herself around his waist. Tyler’s right arm coils her into his side, then he presses a kiss to the top of her head.
I feel my fists clenching involuntarily, but I already know I’m going to have to get used to this,them. She was his before she was mine.
“Can we talk?” he asks, his eyes locked on mine, voice quiet, though I hear the shallow tremble. Cherry steps away from him, and I can hear Cameryn behind me now talking to Chase.
A chill slides across the back of my neck, and when I feel Cherry thread her fingers between mine and squeeze, I nod once. Gripping the back of Cherry’s neck, I pull her into me, placing a kiss on her temple. “I’ll be back.”
She nods and clenches my hand again before stepping away. Fingers pinch my elbow, pulling me to a pause, and when I spin around, I expect to see Cherry, only it’s Cameryn.
Her dirty blonde hair is messy, one side shoved behind her entirely pierced ear. I can tell she wants to say something when she cracks her knuckles, then nervously pulls out a cigarette, but she doesn’t,so I do. “We are going to have to cancel our sessions, killer.”
She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth. “Sorry about that.” I hear the remorsein her voice.
When she drops her head between her shoulders and stares at her feet, I grab her by the back of her neck and pull her into me. She wraps her arms around my waist as I laugh, squeezing her. “I’m glad it’s paid off, at least.”
She steps back when I unwind myself, and a slight grin lifts her mouth. I just laugh.
“You did good,” I start to say before pinching her chin and walking backward toward where Ty is. “I would have punched me, too.” My mouth cants with a smirk, then I’m spinning around and ambling toward the outdoor lounge set, where Tyler is sitting. Falling onto the clouded cushions, I exhale sharply. Placing my elbows on my knees, I watch Cherry and Cameryn follow Chase into the kitchen.
Tyler clears his throat, and I flick my gaze to his. The silence between us is tense. We sit there for a moment, collecting our thoughts.
“You were right…” he starts to say, and I turn to look at him. “She was the best friend I left.” His eyes locked onto the dark water of the pool as I watch him swallow his guilt. “At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do, you know, for Cameryn. She needed her more than me, but I didn’t think about what Blaine needed. I disregarded her, the friend I fucking vowed to protect.”
He releases a burdened exhale, pulling out a blunt and lighting it up. Burning a line down his throat, he blows out a gray cloud, then passes it over to me.
I take it between trembling fingers, bringing it to my lips.
“Chase told me everything, and what you did…” He rubs the back of his hand over his mouth. “That was fucking selfless. You made a choice that in turn killed you but kept her alive. You are a better man than I’ll ever be.”
I scoff, running my quivering hands back through my hair. “We know that’s a load of–”
He cuts me off when he clears his throat, turning his head, his dark eyes finding mine. “Thank you…” As he pauses, one single tear rolls down his clean-shaven cheek. A shiver works its way down my spine at the sight. I have never seen Tyler cry before, and I know the decision he made all those years ago is still slowly killing him.I think it always will. He pushes the rivulet away, and then takes a deep breath. His right leg jumpsup and down subtly, showing his nerves. He’s losing control.I need to hold my brother together.
I shove up from my seat, and he does the same, and then I reach for him, tugging him in for a hard hug. We stay like this for a few moments, silent cries falling between us, the evidence in the shake of our chests. Open hands tap down on each other's backs, a voiceless reassurance that we will be okay, that our brotherhood hasn’t changed, that it’s only become stronger.
When Ty pulls back, he grabs onto my right shoulder and squeezes. He’s staring at his feet, and I watch his jaw flex, though it’s not out of anger. It looks a little like gratitude. He raises his chin, and with tears in his eyes, he finishes, “Thank you for having her back when I didn’t.”
The needle of the tattoo gun feels light, a pin prick to the pain I had endured in my twenty-five years. Like a feather dancing across the skin at my pubic bone, I enjoyed it, found comfort in it.
Harlen had mentioned that Chase liked to tattoo himself, and though he didn’t do it professionally, he was fucking good at it.
I’m lying across the outside coffee table on Harlen’s balcony, where he’d placed some towels over the cool glass top. Chase kneels beside me, his head between my…legsas he tattoos an elemental sun onto my scarred flesh.
He didn’t ask any questions.He knew.
He had already seen it firsthand.
The mess I was left in.
Harlen hovers over Chase, watching him shade it through. His blue eyes are bright as he bites into his bottom lip and assures me that it’s amazing. Though I didn’t have any concerns, I’m just grateful I would never have to look at their triangle ever again.
This is my light burying the darkness.
I flick my eyes to Cameryn and Tyler sitting at my side. I’m not embarrassed that they’re here, in my most vulnerable state.Truthfully, I don’t give a fuck. I just want to be with my friends, the people who care about me. Harmony and Asher are back at Harmony’s, so it’s just the five us, the five of us who knew.
