Not So Broken (West Coast College Book 3)

Chapter 38

Ava

The funeral is absolutely beautiful.

Tyler's parents decided to bury him on the Island in Victoria. The whole hockey team is here, along with Brayden's Mom and older brother.

I've never been to the Island before but Mom and Dad took Atlas and Connor here all the time, whale watching and camping. They would even make week-long vacations if my brothers had games out here.

Noah and Allie have been translating the whole ceremony for me, even when Allie went up and gave a small speech after Brayden's before Noah stepped up and finished for her when she started crying.

Despite the sun shining above us and the wildflowers growing around the cemetery, everything seems bleak and grey.

Tyler has a gorgeous wooden casket that the team got to fill with a small item of their choice. Most of them put in hockey pucks that have some sort of special meaning to them and Liam got to put in a small toy truck.

One extremely large absence that's hitting us all hard? Cameron. It's been over a month since Tyler passed and nothing has changed no matter how much any of us try.

Noah had to practically drag him out of our apartment and onto the ferry before throwing him in our hotel room we're sharing with Rhys and Maeve.

Last I saw of him he was laying on our bed staring up at the ceiling in just his boxers, his suit for today laid out beside him.

"I'm sorry he's not here," I tell Tyler's Mom and Dad, "He's been having a rough time."

The amount of excuses I've made for him is sickening. Quinn actually showed up at the bookstore the other day asking about his brother and why he hasn't been answering his phone. I gave him a vague rundown of the accident, not wanting Quinn to know his brother is borderline alcoholic at this point.

Delilah has even asked about him, saying she's missed seeing his smile around the store. Me too, Delilah. Me fucking too.

I haven't seen him smile or laugh in weeks, and the only words he's uttered to me are when I dump the vodka and beer down the sink. Besides that, it's been nothing but silence from him.

Not that I can hear him anyway. I've tried to explain my audiologist appointment many times to him, Mike as well, but he refuses to hear anything or anyone.

It's like a switch in his brain has flipped off, leaving me to try and turn it back on alone.

Tyler's Mom nods, the hand holding her tissue trembling. His Dad stands behind her, eyes glossy and red rimmed "We understand. We really do. We've been told Tyler was like a big brother to Cameron. And that Tyler loved him very much."

Reading lips while people are crying is extremely hard to do so I just nod, hoping I'm not agreeing to be a part of a cult or anything.

Everyone starts filing out of the cemetery, most of us heading back to the hotel to gather our things and grabbing the next ferry ride back home.

I watch Liam run ahead of Maeve before Rhys snatches him up and throws him over his shoulder, both of them laughing happily, despite the occasion.

My own smile spreads at the sight of the three of them so happy, so complete. Rhys whispers something in Maeve's ear before she throws her head back laughing, something only Rhys is able to yank out of her.

Even Noah has his own small smile as Allie swings their conjoined hands between them, his other tucked into his dress pants pocket.

I look down at my own hands, clenching around nothing but air. I hate him so fucking much right now.