Courage (Mark of Nexus) (13 page)

I knew something had been bothering her. I knew she’d been thinking about it. But I never thought it’d happen like this.

Wandering back to the church felt like a thousand mile journey. My body was too heavy, too slow. It was bad enough I hadn’t slept all night, worrying about what Henry had said. Now I’d lost all motivation to move.

Stupid as it was, I knew it hadn’t hit me yet. Her absence wouldn’t seem real for a while. Until then, I’d just have to—

“You son of a bitch!”

My head snapped to the side from the force of a lightning fast blow, and I struggled to catch my balance. “What the…?”

“What did you do to her?” Cole demanded, eyes livid as he jabbed his finger toward the parking lot. “Tell me I did not just see Rena throw up over what you said earlier. So help me—”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped back, anxious to take my aggression out on someone. “She just broke up with me. I didn’t say anything.”

That got him up in my face. “You serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious.” I shoved him. “You think I’d joke about something like that? She wanted out, so I let her. End of story.”

“Right,” Cole agreed, circling on me. “
She
wanted out. Had nothing to do with you.”

I sucked in a deep breath. “You better stop right there.”

“What are you going to do about it?” he taunted, shoving me back. “Come on. Show me.”

“Cole, back off,” I warned. And that was the last thing I remember.

The next few minutes were a chaotic blur of punches, grass stains, shouts, and bruises. He was fast, but he couldn’t hold me down. No one could hold me down—especially not today.
Damn it.
I didn't want to hurt my brother. I didn't want to trigger flashbacks of killing Roman. But if he didn't let up…

My fist tightened around Cole's collar, and someone grabbed my shoulder. “Wallace! That’s enough.”

I looked up through a red haze to find Pastor Mark’s face hovering over mine. He pulled us apart—well, he tried to—and sent us to opposite sides of the light post. “What the heck’s gotten into you?” he asked. “Who is this guy?”

Cole spit crimson on the sidewalk and shot me a glare. “Sorry, preacher. Family disagreement.”

“He’s my brother,” I explained, raising my voice over top of his as I fought to catch my breath. “We just had a little misunderstanding.”

“Little?” Mark did a double-take and pointed to the crowd forming behind us. “You’re the main event.”

I stared down at the worn places on my shoes, feeling so small I couldn’t even look at him. “Sorry.”

“Hey.” He grasped my arm. “If you two are willing, we can talk this thing out inside.”

“I'm not going in there,” Cole interrupted, eyeing the church like it was going to swallow him whole.

I gestured toward the building, incredulous. “You were
just
in there twenty minutes ago.”

“Not inside-inside,” Cole fired back. “Just the lobby. You know churches freak me out.”

I reached up and rubbed my temples, praying for rational thought to flood my mind. “Sorry, Mark. I guess that’s not the best idea right now.”

“That’s fine.” He flipped his sunglasses back onto the bridge of his nose. “Why don’t you go ahead and head out, then? I can find someone to cover your and Rena’s shift. Family comes first.”

I cringed at the sound of her name, but nodded anyway. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He started to walk away and paused. “Oh, and Wallace.”

“Huh?”

Creases formed at the corners of his eyes as he grinned. “I’ll be praying for ya.” He turned to Cole and added, “You too.”

Cole snorted as Mark made his way back to the crowd. “Better get some kneepads.”

“So, are you done?” I asked, feeling along the side of my face where it was swollen. My body was tough enough to withstand some heavy blows, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t get hurt. In fact, unlike my brother, I’d probably be sporting a black eye tomorrow.

Cole shrugged. “For now.”

“And?”

“And what?”

I took a deep breath. “You want to tell me what all that was about?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe you telling that Nullari chick you were going to break up with Rena, when she was in freakin’ earshot?”

My gut twisted, and I did my best to ignore the pain that shot through the band on my arm. “What?”

“I’m going to tell Rena how I feel,” he mocked in the lower range of his voice, imitating me. “Dragging it out would be cruel. Oh, sappity-sap. I love hugs.” His nostrils flared. “Yeah, we came back around that time, asshole. You were too wrapped up to notice.”

“But…” The world tilted, and I had to grasp the light post for support. “I wasn’t talking about breaking up with her.” Oh God. Was that what she thought? “Corynn was trying to get me to have a talk with Rena before things got too serious. To make sure she was really in it, before I…before I…”

I ripped my hand back from where I’d crunched the metal. “Damn it.”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” I spat, making for my truck. “I need to get out of here. I can’t think straight.”

“Whoa, whoa.” Cole appeared in front of me. “If that’s not how it happened, you have to tell her.”

I shook my head, and my heart pounded in my ears. “If I talk to her now, she’ll think you told me and I made something up to smooth things over. We’ve been having this fight for days, Cole—months, really. Let her believe what she wants to.”

“So, what? You’re just going to let her go?”

“Rena fights for everything,” I gritted out. “If she really wanted me, you think she would’ve just rolled over like that? Maybe she’d been waiting for an excuse, and I finally gave her one.”

Cole didn’t have an argument for that. He opened and shut his mouth a few times, before stepping aside. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “But this doesn’t feel right. I don’t like it.”

“Yeah? Well, welcome to the club.” I stormed the rest of the way to my truck, knowing he was only a few steps behind. “And take her home, will ya? I don’t want her walking back to campus by herself.”

My brother watched me with turmoil in his eyes as I jerked the door open, nearly pulling it off its hinges. “You got it,” he said, tugging keys from his pocket. “Just relax, okay? We’ll figure this out.”

Yeah, we’d figure it out, all right—figure out I’d managed to screw up the only good thing in my life. I cranked the engine, threw my truck into gear, and tore out of the lot without looking back. 

“Hot, hot!” Gabby spit a gulp of coffee back into her mug, frantically waving at her tongue. “Hottt…”

I raised an eyebrow, but refrained from comment. If I told her how gross it was, she’d repeat it just to see me squirm. Instead, I focused on my silverware.
One, two…three…four water spots on my fork. Yuck.
How hard was it to dry these things?

Feigning interest in something across the diner, I yanked the offending utensil under the table and gave it a few quick swipes with my napkin.

He’s going to catch you one of these times, you know?”

I swallowed. “Who?”

“You know who,” Gabby said, gesturing toward the double doors behind our booth. “Sam. He’s always coming and going through there.”

I did know who. I was just afraid to summon him from the kitchen’s fiery depths. The man was intimidation personified. Sure, he looked the part of a greasy dive owner, but he acted like a mobster. If he caught me insulting his establishment, he might break my kneecaps. Or worse…

A sudden song erupted from Gabby’s purse, but she didn’t so much as flinch. “It’s just Rena,” she announced in a bored tone, before rooting around in her bag to answer it. “What’s up?”

Her thin brows met in an instant. “Slow down. Where are you?”

Sweat prickled my hairline as I studied her, waiting to hear what had happened. Did Rena get into an accident? Was she hurt? I patted my pockets to find my keys. If she could get an address—

Lexie, our repeat waitress, chose that moment to trudge over. “Ready to order?” she asked, ignoring the fact that Gabby was still on the phone.

Of course. It’d been our luck that we had ended up with her once a week since she started here in the winter. After all these months, we only knew three things about her. She dressed like a goth, she had a crush on Wallace, and she didn’t like the rest of us.

Oh, and she was Sam’s niece. That made four things.

“Actually, can we just get a check for the drinks?” I whispered, sneaking my fork back alongside my spoon. “I think we’re leaving.”

She shrugged. “Whatever. Give me a minute.”

Gabby plugged her other ear. “Say that again. No, we’re at Sam’s. Okay…okay, see you soon.” She hit something on the screen and threw her phone back inside her bag. “She’s coming here. They’re right around the corner.”

“What happened?” I asked, leaning forward. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know.” She pressed her lips together and turned around to watch the door. “She was with Wallace’s brother, and she was crying.”

“His brother?” My stomach did a weird little flip, and I sank down in my seat. “I thought she went to the festival with Wallace.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” Gabby said, reaching down to grasp the handle of her mug. “But some serious shit must’ve gone down if she called just to find us.”

Just then, the door burst open and Rena stumbled inside. Her hair was blown like she’d ridden with her head out the window, and her cheeks were rosy pink. She let out a strangled sob when she saw us and ran the rest of the way to our booth.

“Oh, honey.” Gabby stood up to catch her in a hug. “What’s wrong?”

Something blurred in my peripheral vision.

“I’m so stupid,” Rena wailed into her shoulder.

A man who looked like the mercenary version of Wallace nudged my shoulder. “Hey, you mind scoochin’ over, pal? I’m babysitting.”

I blinked a few times and moved to the inside of the booth. “S-Sure…”

“Thanks,” he muttered, plopping down in the indentation I’d left behind. “So, are you guys just hanging out or what?”

Did he not get that there was an emotional scene taking place two feet from us? I looked from him to the girls, and then back to him. “Uh, yeah.”

“Sorry, where are my manners?” He ran his hand down the leg of his jeans and offered it to me. “Cole Blake.”

I grasped it and prayed my palm wasn’t sweaty. “Aiden Ross.”

He nodded. “Well, I’m here to tell you, Aiden Ross, not to get caught up in this woman shit.” He jerked his chin back toward Rena and Gabby, who seemed lost in their own little hushed world. “They do not want to hear from you. They do not want to be enlightened by your opinions. And if you try to comfort them, they’ll freakin’ cry.”

Man, this guy gave me the creeps. I felt like he was staring into my soul or something. “But…I don’t even know why she’s upset.”

He picked up my knife and started fiddling with it. “I’ll tell you why she’s upset. She just broke up with my brother.”

“What?” All of the ambient sound in the diner cut as I focused on him, struggling to grasp what he’d just said. “Are you serious?”

“Serious as a heart attack,” he said, poking the blade against his chest. “It’s complicated as all hell, though, so don’t try to understand it. Just stay out of her way and make little listening noises when it’s appropriate.”

Was this guy for real? Rena adored every breath in Wallace’s body. There was no stinkin’ way she’d break up with him. Besides, why would she be the one crying?

“I’m sorry,” Rena said, sniffling as she turned to the table. “I just…” She shook her head and held a hand up. “Never mind. What’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” I repeated, incredulous. “You—”

Cole shot me a warning look.

I swallowed and looked down at my water. “Nothing.”

Rena laughed as she sat down, though her eyes were still red and watery. “Aiden, you’re a horrible liar.”

Warmth danced across my cheeks. “Really?”

“Really,” she teased. “I know I look like shit. You don’t have to tell me.”

Cole had taken to absentmindedly slashing the butter knife across his arm. “Don’t respond to that. It’s a trap.”

Gabby raised her eyebrows as she took a seat. “So, you’re Ace’s…” She cringed and shot a glance at Rena. “I mean, you’re somebody’s brother?”

“Yeah,” he responded. “I’m somebody’s brother.”

“Cole,” Rena said. “You really don’t have to stay here. I’m okay now.”

He shot her a disbelieving look and made another slash at his forearm. “Yeah, you look okay.”

That got him a glare.

I started to say something about the cut he’d just inflicted when the strangest thing happened—it faded. Seriously. It went from red to pink, and then the skin knit itself back together. Just like that. “How did…?”

Cole turned to face me with the knife pointed in my direction. “Something on your mind, Aiden Ross?”

I leaned back. “N-No.”

“Cole,” Rena warned. “You know I can’t deal with this today.”

“Fine, fine.” He dropped the knife and held both hands up, scooting to the end of the booth. “I have to go check on a listing, anyway.” When he stood, he fixed her with a stare that seemed to imply more than a farewell. “You know how to get a hold of me, if you need me.”

“I know.” Rena’s lips pulled up, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Thank you.”

He grunted and threw a wave over his shoulder. “Yep. Later.”

“Bye,” I said, with a shudder as he made his way to the door.
Thank God.

A minute or so slipped by in relative silence. Music and conversation drifted around us, but we sat in an awkward bubble. Rena had tears streaking down her face, but she wasn’t crying anymore. It was like she couldn’t stop them.

“Sooo,” Gabby began. “You guys had a fight?”

Rena nodded.

“And you were the one who ended up calling things off?”

Another nod.

Gabby gave me a weird look, and then leaned over to her. “You want to run the
why
part past me one more time?”

Rena lowered her head and mumbled, “We’re just not as compatible as we thought we were.”

My heart squeezed. I’d never seen her more defeated—like she’d been owned by a boss on the very last level. I mean, her eyes were glazed over, and even now, her lip was quivering. The girl was just…broken.

“I heard you were waitin’ on a check over here,” Sam’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Didn’t want you to…” His brow crumpled when he saw Rena. “Hey, what’s wrong, kiddo?”

She looked up with another one of those fake smiles and shook her head. “Nothing. I’m okay.”

“You don’t look okay,” Sam said. “Not that you ain’t your usual pretty self, but I think you know what I mean.”

Rena rubbed her neck. “It’s just…Wallace and I broke up.”

I inhaled a little too sharply at her words. There was something about hearing the confession straight from her lips that sent me reeling. Rena was single. After three long months, she was single. Sure, it was a horrible way to think, but I couldn’t help it. This was the opportunity I’d been waiting for.

Now what?

Sam’s gaze turned deadly as he shifted his weight from one side to the other. “That boy been runnin’ around on you?”

“No,” Rena answered without flinching.

He shook a meaty fist. “What about hittin’ you? Did he smack you around?”

Her lip curled in disgust. “God, no.”

Sam gave us the eye, like we were holding back on him.

“He didn’t do anything, Sam,” she said. “Honestly. It was just…time.”

“Time, huh? Well, I don’t know nothin’ about this time business, but I’ll leave it at that.” He wiped his hands on his apron and leaned in. “Just know this. Next time ol’ Wally boy comes in, he and I are gonna have a little chat.”

Rena looked like she was going to be sick.

Gabby smiled up at him. “How about that check, Sam?”

He snorted, rummaged around for the slip, and then tore it into pieces. “How ‘bout it?”

Did that just happen?

As he turned to walk into the kitchen, Gabby stammered a quick thank you that I was quick to repeat. I don’t think either of us was expecting the gesture, but it felt kind of nice. Maybe my kneecaps were safe, after all.

“Can we go now?” Rena asked, running her hands through her hair. The blonde strands were all knotted in tangles, and she had raccoon eyes from where her makeup had run. If she was this bad off, I couldn’t imagine how Wallace was holding up. Did the big guy cry when she told him? I almost wanted to see it, in a sick kind of way.

“Sure thing.” Gabby stood up and pulled Rena out of the booth. “Let’s get you home.”

I got up and threw a dollar on the table. Sam might’ve cleared our beverage tab, but Lexie still worked on tips. The last thing I needed was a spitified burger next time we came in.
Yuck.

“You coming back to the room, Aiden?” Rena asked in a tired voice.

I shook my head. “Nah, I’ve got stuff to do.” Meaning, I needed to go think. After the talk Gabby and I had last night, this felt like a push from the universe. What was a guy supposed to do with this kind of pressure? I swallowed. “Take care of yourself, though. Come get me if you need anything.”

She gave a weak smile. “I will.”

I couldn’t help but smile back. For the first time in months, I actually believed her.