Page 45 of Anchored to the Storm

Dale kept staring as if deciding what to confirm but finally said, “Can’t be sure, but the coroner announced a timeframe that sure fits him leaving here.” Abundantly clear, he added, “To a T.”

I was lost between being freaked and finding Johnny even hotter. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah.” He lifted his chin and released me before taking a step back. “So, let’s let Johnny and his connections handle any other revenge needed. Whoever hurt Blue. Got it?”

Dale didn’t know that answer, but we did: the pastor.

I didn’t reply. That promise wasn’t all mine to make. “Seb, he’s not doing well.”

“You think a murder charge will actually help?”

Not saying anything, I looked away. I didn’t quite have the balls to consider kind, Blue-loving Sebastian in a prison cell. With hungry prison mates.

Sounding a bit angry, Dale compounded my worry. “You think it’s easy to actually murder someone?”

My stomach turned.

“Fine.” Dale almost growled, “Think you nitwits can avoid getting caught?”

Still not able to meet his glare, I mumbled, “I’ve watched a few Dateline shows.”

A cruel laugh escaped him. “Yeah, those shows tell you how exactly it feels to snuff out a life with your bare hands.”

Bare hands? Wait… Now my eyes snapped to his. “The driver?”

“I said beat, didn’t I?” Dale held up two fists. The ones he taught us how to spar with and protect ourselves with. “I talked to a buddy at the precinct. There was too much bleach to get any DNA, but no weapon was involved according to the coroner.”

Bleach! We had all dreamt of it! Oh my God.

Dale was pleased his words were sinking in. “By how pale you just got, I think I’ve made my message clear.”

Even though he was wrong, that I was truly twigging over the blood oath and all the connections it was causing, I nodded, feeling sick. “Crystal clear—” Crystal water—I grabbed my stomach. I might puke.

“Okay, okay.” Dale guided me to the bathroom. “Go rinse off your face before you pass out. Thank you for hearing me.” He left me at the door. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

When he was out of sight and I was in the bathroom, I spun in a circle, a little unsteady on my feet. The emotional upheaval of that conversation, and what I’d’ just learned, had me queasy. I shut the door and flipped on the light. Staring into the mirror, I asked myself, “Did we really dream of bleach because of Johnny?” It seemed impossible! Apparently, nothing is impossible.

If that was the case, if anything was possible, then … “I can kill a man with my bare hands, right?” I asked my reflection.

I was a jock who pretended to be straight. I held my own on the field. Off the field, I had faced death. But could I cause it? Could I be like Johnny?

A red-haired, pale-skinned, freckle-faced, and full of imperfections young man stared back at me in the mirror.

My shoulders slumped. Hopeless.

Turning on the faucet, I closed my eyes, lowered my head, and splattered water onto my face. After some cleansing splashes and deep breaths, I dared not be so critical of my reflection.

After looking up again, with water dripping from my skin, I rolled my eyes at the irony. Are you kidding me right now? I was hoping to see a badass. One who could get bloody for his family if needed. Instead, I got a quick reminder that I appeared to be nothing of the sort. Great. I’m a gay, sparkling Sinner.

One week later

Maybe it was the stars in the water the Misfits bathed in that brought us an ounce of peace. Maybe it was that I had officially moved into Johnny’s old room, which calmed me. I just sensed hope. That we had a chance. At what? Not a clue. Just couldn’t shake the sense I was getting somewhere.

We had all returned to school and were coping the best we could. College and baseball were actually a great distraction from the concern of what all the blood oath entailed—what other ‘special abilities’ might eventually appear—and the heartache over Blue and Caleb, and the questions in my head about Johnny killing a man.

Did he feel guilty or satisfied about removing scum from the earth?

Sarah seemed to be avoiding Ethan like the plague. Possibly due to biting him?