Consuming Fire

Chapter 33

Will knocked on Fearne's bedroom door and quietly closed it behind him. She was propped up in bed with her lamp on, reading by herself. Chantal had helped him clean the blood away from her face, and she slept until midday the next day.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I feel fine," she replied. There were shadows beneath her eyes, but they still glowed in the lamplight. "What about you? There's something bothering you."

Rolling his eyes, Will sighed. "I may as well tell you, you can probably read my mind."

"It's a little fuzzy these days," she replied. "But I don't have to be a mind reader to see that it's Hunter."

He stared at his clasped hands. "I guess I'm afraid. I've never felt like this for anyone. And I don't know where to start."

Fearne picked up her book and pointed to the cover. "You should probably read this then. It's about Snow White who is poisoned by an evil witch, and Prince Charming's kiss wakes her up. It's true love."

Will scoffed. He'd read enough books with the younger ones to see a recurring theme in these fairytales. Their love was perfect. No curse could break it. No height or depth, no heaven or hell, not even death itself could take them away from each other. But was it real? Where did that kind of love exist?

"You're adorable," he said and kissed her lightly on her forehead. "Feel better, okay?"

"Will?"

He turned back after standing up.

"I know it seems hard to forgive Joshua, but you can't blame him for all the pain you've been through."

"I don't. I blame Dr. Wolfe."

"No," she said. "You blame your father."

Will blinked in surprise. He'd lived with Fearne long enough to know that sometimes she saw things clearer than even he did. "My father?" He hadn't thought about his father at all in a long time. So much had happened that he forgot all about him.

"It's not in your thoughts, but it's in your heart. You can't move on and start a new life. Let go of the blame."

Will stared into her eyes, into the pools of wisdom that were a light in his troubled world as a child. What would he do without her?

"I'll give it my best shot," he smiled. Then he tucked her in and went back downstairs.

"I really really want a pizza you guys," said Ryo as she lay stretched across Benji on the sofa. "Can't we get a pizza?"

"Why would we do that when we have plenty of food here?" asked Chantal as she washed dishes with Joshua in the kitchen. Hunter was upstairs showering and Mosi and Marcus were on the porch boxing with each other.

Ryo continued to moan about how hungry she was and Chantal suggested a piece of fruit. Will poured himself a glass of water while thinking of a way to approach Joshua.

Fortunately, the opportunity presented itself.

"Can I have a word?"

Will choked on his water at the voice that came from right behind him. He wiped his chin, nodded and followed Joshua outside where the night was dark and the only light came from the porch.

"I just want to ask your forgiveness, Will, for anything I might've done to hurt you. I understand that-"

Will held up a hand and Joshua stopped talking. Just the way he spoke made Will want to throw up.

"I hate you for what you did, to me and to Hunter. But I'm not going to let it affect the way we act around the others. I'll pretend that things have been fixed and I'll find my own way to get over it. But ... as much as I should forgive you, there's something stopping me. It's personal."

Joshua put his hands in his pockets, frowning. "Okay ... I guess that's all I can ask for. Thank you."

Will nodded and stormed back inside. One day he would bring himself to move past it, but forgiveness was one mountain Will had never been able to pass. Fearne was right – it was his father to blame for everything. It was his father he truly had to forgive.