Page 100 of Wicked Brutal

“Did Walter see you?”

“Yeah.”

“Cassandra?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you try to hide?”

“Probably at first.”

“What did Cassandra do?”

I look at Mom. Then back at him. “She hugged me.”

“You let her?”

“Eventually.”

Mom raises an eyebrow. “After being a dramatic pain in my ass.”

“Language,” Tobias and Ally say together.

I grin. “She hugged me. Dad sat with me. Ally was there for me. The boys were there. Cat and Penny and Becca too. And you know what?”

“What?”

“I still cry about Daisy sometimes.”

His eyes widen again. “Still? Does Danny?”

“Yeah.”

“Danny’s really strong.”

“He is.”

“And he’s a man.”

“Last time I checked.”

Tobias thinks. “So crying doesn’t make you not a man. Victor says it does.”

“Victor says a lot of stupid shit.”

Tobias leans more heavily against me. “Dad says Ally makes me soft.”

“Do you think you’re soft?”

His forehead wrinkles. “I don’t know.”

“Do you like who you are?”

That makes him think. “Mostly. Sometimes I get scared.”

“So do I.”

“And I cry.”