Page 54 of Anchored to the Storm

“Sorry I gave out back there.”

He rolled his eyes. “Girls, so full of drama.” But his joke was as heavy as the worry circling his body.

Weakly, I smiled. “Can I hold your hand when you’re done breaking the law?”

He tossed the phone to the dashboard, then grabbed my hand. “Until I need it to drive, it’s all yours.” Holding my hand, he squeezed. “Trust me, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.” And fell back to sleep.

When I heard the passenger door open, I did the same with my eyes. What I saw had me cry. “Ethan, what’s wrong with me today?”

From the driver’s seat, Finn unbuckled me, and Ethan scooped me into his arms. “Memories haunting you, baby.”

I assumed he was referring to Caleb, Blue, and Johnny, but when he carried me into the house past worried faces and someone whispering ‘anniversary’, I remembered what day it was.

My head fell back and hung against Ethan’s arm so I could numbly stare at the ceiling.

I forgot.

West Six

Gage

He is life. . . for us. . .

In our room, I straightened Ethan’s bed, then pulled down the sheets like an eager hotel attendant. I knew he wasn’t going to take Sarah to her own bed. Not even Jesus himself would be able to pry that girl from Ethan’s arms.

When he turned the corner of the doorway, my heart broke at seeing how devastated she looked. Her body was droopy, lifeless in his hold. Far smaller than I expected after seeing her every day for years.

Finn followed them to the door but didn’t come into our room. Just watched, as if Sarah now had a special place in his heart. I motioned to him to turn off the overhead light, then turned on a lamp.

Ethan stared at Sarah while getting into the bed, gently, to not disturb the disturbed. I put an extra pillow on his side of the mattress so he could, on his side facing my bed, watch her better. As soon as the back of Sarah’s head touched the pillow, her eyes closed.

Ethan sighed. Then his hands moved, telling me, “If she breaks, I break.”

I nodded. Then motioned, Loud and clear, my friend.

As she had before, Harmony quietly snuck around Finn, who still stood in the doorway, to bring bottles of water and fruit in a basket. She placed them on the nightstand next to his bed, while whispering, “I’ve noticed the hand communication lately. Eerie but fascinating.”

We all looked at each other. What is she talking about?

From the doorway, Finn stared at his hands. Then only the one that had been through the blood oath.

Chills ran through my whole body. Maybe someday we will understand.

With an undeniable motherly instinct, Harmony helped me cover Sarah and Ethan.

She kissed Sarah’s forehead, gave an encouraging touch to Ethan’s shoulder, hugged me then Finn, and left the room and hallway. Finn followed her. I was going to, too, but heard, “Stay?”

I whispered, “Of course, man.”

To not make a peep, I grabbed a paperback and crawled into my bed.

After a couple of hours of reading, Harmony brought in two bowls of pot roast. My stomach rumbled in gratitude.

Sarah hadn’t moved.

She never did when this happened to her. During nightmares, or times like this when she became catatonic from the trauma in her past, she was unable to move a muscle to prevent the memories of horrors inflicted on her. I still didn’t know every detail, but over the years, we’d learned enough. Learned that bad shit had happened to her when she was in elementary school. The kind of fucked up bullshit even the news media hesitated to cover.