Page 19 (1/2)

The problem was, all I could see when I closedforaroundempty and li out a back exit andoak that stood behind the building By the tih bark,to s pastto hold it in I breathed, choking on ue as I tried to literally bite down on sobs

I turned in place and pressed , whi Because I couldn’t I couldn’t let myself

I felt a warmth descend over my shoulders, soft silk of a suit coat I pushed away fro at ly blue The face was haunting, faly beautiful like Kyle, but her Less perfect, less statuesque Longish, shaggy black hair, messy and thick and lustrous and raven-black

Colton Kyle’s brother, older by about five years

I hadn’t seen Colton in a long, long time He left home when Kyle and I were just kids, and he hadn’t been back since I wasn’t even sure where he lived, what he did I didn’t think he got along with Mr Calloway, but I wasn’t sure

Colton didn’t say anything, just settled his suit coat over ainst the tree trunk, white button down soaking through to show his skin, and the dark ink of a tattoo on his ar tribal, aze, level and calht with unspoken pain He understoodhard in the inside pocket, stuck my hand in and withdrew a pack of Marlboros and a Zippo Colton lifted an eyebrow, taking thearette, flicked the Zippo and lit it I watched, because watching kept the ma at bay

He put the filter between his lips and sucked, and I felt so as if I knew hi on a sh pursed lips As if I’d always looked on in disapproval, but never voiced s’ll kill ravelly and deep, but still ” That was the ht hours

“You don’t have to I can see it in your eyes You disapprove”

“I guess Sed “I’ve never known anyone who smokes”

“Now you do,” Colton said “I don’t smoke much Socially, usually Or when I’m stressed”

“This counts as stress, I think”

“The death ofoccasion” He spoke the words casually, alony in his eyes as he looked away, stared at the glowing orange cherry of his cigarette

“Can I try?”