Chapter 53

FIFTY-THREE

I swing by the hospital at Evan's urging, and both of us get checked over. They want us to stay, but we refuse. I'm exhausted, and so is he. All I want is my bed and my boy in my arms where I know he's safe. When we get back, Alice and Lally crash on one couch, and Skylar stretches out on the other.

Evan's hand is in mine as we stare at them. "Come on, let's get some sleep." I tug him upstairs, knowing I have a lot of cleanup to do in the house, not to mention rebuilding my car, but I'm the best mechanic, so I can do it.

I can fix everything that's broken.

I tell Evan as much later, when he's in my arms after I clean the broken glass and cover the window, stroking his tired face. "I'll fix whatever is broken, pretty boy. My car, this house, your heart—I'll spend my life fixing everything. They don't get another second of you, do you hear me?"

"Tonight will change all of us," he admits.

"It should." I nod. "You don't survive something like that and come out as the same person. It should leave a mark, but we won't give them the satisfaction of taking another second of our time. We'll keep moving forward and keep living to spite them. We'll be happy and find new hope together—all of us."

"Almost all of us," he whispers. "I wonder if they have told his parents yet."

"If they haven't, you can call them in the morning," I tell him, kissing his head. "But you need to rest now, okay? Don't make me get all growly and order you around."

He grins, moving closer. "Why? We both know I like it when you do."

"Not tonight, pretty boy. Tomorrow, I'm going to spend hours ensuring myself you're alive and okay, but for now, we are sleeping, right here in our bed where you belong."

"Okay," he whispers. "Everything else can wait for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," I agree.

I leave Evan sleeping. Like Bones and Silent Rose promised, no cops knock at our door. Instead, I have a text telling me our lawyers are waiting, and when we are ready to go to the station, they will go with us to give our statements. It seems like the police have enough to occupy them rather than chasing us for information and statements.

Social media is exploding with theories, but nothing else has been released as of yet, and my respect for Silent Rose's power only rises.

We are lucky we had them last night. We needed numbers and help, and they were there for him. I'm so glad he has a place like that, a home, with them and with me.

I look up when there's a noise and watch as Alice sits opposite me, her hair sticking up all over like when she was a kid. Reaching over, I take her hand, and she laces our fingers together.

I want to say something to make her feel better, to comfort her, but honestly, what can I say? Suddenly, she speaks, her voice soft so as not to wake the others. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that," I murmur.

"No, we should ask each other. You're my older brother, Alek, not my father." I flinch, and she smiles to soften the blow. "Not in a bad way. I love you, but I want a brother, not a father. I want someone to talk to and play with, not someone to order me around and protect me. All this time, I let you do just that, depending on you more than I should and taking you for granted, and I almost lost you last night. We are family, Alek, but we should lean on each other. We should have our own lives, and you shouldn't live for me." She glances at the stairs.

"I'm glad you have Evan. Before him, you would have taken me and run last night, not caring about anyone else, but now, you let people in and gave yourself the chance to love and live. I'm so happy, and I'm so sorry, Alek, for depending on you so much and making you carry that weight alone. You were just a kid too, but it's time for you to live your life now. If last night has taught us anything, it's that life is too fucking short to have regrets. I know I don't want any. I refuse to be scared anymore, and I want you to do the same. I'm going to move out, and I want you to choose what makes you happy. I'm also going to get a job and pay for some of my tuition."

"Don't grow up too fast, okay? Don't take everything from me. I need you to rely on me a little," I admit, and she grins.

"That's because you like being needed, like having a purpose, but Evan needs you, Alek, and I will always need you. You will always be my family, the place I come home to, but it's time we find our own lives separate from each other. All I want is for you to be happy, big brother."

"And that's all I want for you," I murmur. "It was a price I willingly paid. I raised you well, sis. You've become one hell of a woman. I realized it last night when you were willing to take a bullet for me. You're all grown up. I'll stop treating you like a kid if I can."

She smiles. "And I'll stop treating you like a crutch."

"Everything is changing," I say, frightened.

Evan shuffles into the room, his eyes half closed. "Coffee," he demands like a zombie.

"Not everything." She laughs .

"Coffee?" Lally groans, stumbling into the room, just as much of a zombie as Evan.

"No wonder they are besties," I scoff just as Skylar groans from the living room.

"You're all so loud with your feelings. I was having a good dream about a certain tattooed asshole?—"

He grunts when I throw a pillow at him, but it ends in a laugh that fills the house, and I can't help but smile.

Everything is changing, but it's for the best.

This house is a home now, filled with laughter and love, and no matter what happens, we'll face it together.