10. Sequin

10

SEQUIN

I t’s several minutes before I get a response from Slade. I was hoping for a photo too, but all he sends are two words: I’m sorry .

I text him back, Sorry for what ? He doesn’t respond to that at all. I wait until midnight before I give up and climb into the hammock with Tin. I don’t know what to think. Did Slade break up with me? That can’t be right. Otherwise, he would say he didn’t want to see me anymore or at least cancel our plans.

The next morning when I check my phone, there’s still no response. The breakfast table feels horribly empty with just Tin and my moms. I never thought I’d miss Link eating without his utensils to get a rise out of our moms or Coin’s snarky responses. But I do. I especially miss Silver whispering to me soft enough that no one else can hear.

I take my time eating my toast and eggs. There’s no need to rush to catch up anymore. Tin and our alpha mom eventually leave the table, leaving me alone with our omega mom. She’s eating as slowly as I am. She probably misses them, too.

“Georgina stopped by this morning,” she says.

“Really?”

I can’t remember a time when Georgina came to our house. The only time we’ve ever spoken was when I brought bread to her.

“She had some bad news. Slade was arrested last night.”

I almost choke on my toast. “What?”

“He… killed a man.”

My stomach drops. “That can’t be true. They must have the wrong person. Slade would never do something like that.”

Mom reaches across the table to grasp my hand. “He confessed, sweetie.”

I don’t know what to say to that. It doesn’t seem real. I laugh, even though I know it isn’t funny.

“Quin, it will be okay.”

I get up, leaving my plate and coffee for Mom to clean. My stomach churns, and for a moment, I almost lose my breakfast on the dining room floor. I stand there, waiting for the world to stop spinning. All I can think about is the text he sent me last night: I’m sorry .

Silver and Link tried to warn me that Slade was dangerous, but I wouldn’t listen. I wanted to believe he was good so badly.

I escape to my bedroom that is horribly empty except for the hammock and pillows. All of my stuff fits easily in our closet, so there are no piles of clothes or backpacks strewn about. My brothers have left and now Slade is gone too. Because he killed someone.

I sit down on the hammock and shift into my raccoon form. Even burrowed in my clothes, the hammock is colder without my brothers here. I think of how warm it was to sleep in Slade’s arms. He was so gentle and kind during our night together. I can’t imagine him hurting anyone.

I’m sorry.

That text message haunts me. He wouldn’t have apologized if he was innocent, right? He would have explained himself or told me he didn’t do it. He wouldn’t have confessed to the cops either.

You deserve someone better than me.

Slade tried to warn me, too. I’m such a fool.

The door to the bedroom opens and Tin steps inside. He and I have never been that close. When we were kids, Silver divided his time between Link and me, while Coin and Tin stuck together. He softened Coin’s hard edges, and Coin stood up for Tin, who has never been as sharp as the rest of us. School was difficult for him. He did much better at Aunt Emerald’s animal sanctuary, teaching skittish dogs how to love people again.

He gently scoops me up and sits on the hammock. For a long time, he doesn’t say anything, he just holds me and runs his fingers through my fur. I don’t know if Mom told him about Slade, or if he thinks I’m upset about our brothers leaving. Either way, it’s nice to be held by someone who doesn’t expect any kind of response from me. He just rocks back and forth on the hammock in silence.

At some point, I fall asleep. When I wake, Tin is gone. Not just his body, but his smell. I shift back into my human form and go wandering around the house, hoping I’m mistaken. But all his stuff that he’d gathered in a pile by the front door is gone, too.

It’s all too much. My brothers are in every picture frame. Our bedroom is nothing but empty without them. And when I step outside to get away from it all, I see Georgina’s house, where I gave myself to Slade because I was so damn scared of being alone.

I slide my phone out of my pocket. There’s one place I can always go when I feel sad or lonely. It’s a sanctuary for a lot of creatures. Aunt Emerald knows exactly how to take care of animals and people who are down on their luck.

She answers on the second ring. “Hey, Quin. How are you doing?”

“Could I come stay with you? Just for a little while.”

“Of course. My door is always open.”