Collapse: Book Two (bxb) ✔️

14. So, come here, Say.

Raven Fox

The leaves brushed my hand as I stepped through the wooded area. I had to go home now. I felt like a pathetic fucking dog waiting for his owner to come back. However, I'd still come out here tomorrow. I'd stay longer if I wasn't at risk of frostbite through this cold.

Knowing we'd be going back to school in a few weeks brought me no comfort. I didn't want to leave things like this between us, but I was too much of a bitch to text him. I asked him to come home with me, not realizing how awful that sounded after the words he said to me.

Fuck, I didn't deserve to be forgiven at this rate. I felt like I'd doom him to a life of fucked up, tongue twisted words. But I wanted him to come home with me so... I could show him the part of my life I never had. Show him the damn story I worked hard to finish—even if the words came out half-assed.

Maybe he was done with me, and I couldn't blame him.

I shoved my hands into my pockets, dipping through the trees again. I should take my phone out—the moon was not enough light, but I'd walked these woods a million times to reach the cliff side.

My body froze when I heard someone scream a very familiar fucking name. "Salem!" And it put me on high alert as I rushed through the trees toward the person calling out for him. "Salem!"

What? Think about him, and I summon him? Hell, I didn't even summon him, but someone was trying to. And the calls for Salem seemed very desperate and worried. Which only sent my fucking blood pressure through the goddamn roof.

The trees cleared into that damn lot where the house sat in the middle. But I didn't get time to puzzle that together before I crashed into someone, sending them to the ground. "Ouch!" He cried. "Oh, who the fuck?!"

Ah, I recognized that fucking face. "August." I barred my damn teeth at him like an animal. Felt like one at this point. "Why the hell are you screaming your brother's name?"

August held his hands up in surrender. "Down, dog. Jesus fucking Christ." I grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. "Jesus, you're three years younger than me and stronger. I need to hit the gym."

"Where's Salem?!"

"I don't fucking know. I'm not calling his name for shits and giggles, Gay Hulk."

I glared at him to the best of my ability. "Why would you be looking for him? What the hell happened?"

August sighed, running a hand through his mop of dark-brown curls that was riddled with anxiety. "Fuck, I don't know. He and Papa kinda had this... not argument, but he accidentally hurt Papa's feelings. And hell, he was quiet in the kitchen for like... over half an hour. I was with my parents, trying to calmly explain to Papa what Salem meant. And..."

"Faster."

"I don't fucking know! He randomly screamed 'oh my god' and 'no' before we all heard a crash. It was his laptop. Broken, by the way. I think it fell. I don't know. But he ran out the door, and I'm one hundred percent sure he doesn't have a jacket on right now. He was wearing shoes, though. Shit, Raven, I don't know what happened."

I narrowed my eyes. "What was he doing before you yahoos left the fucking kitchen?"

August scowled. "Screw you, for one. For two, I think he said something about a short story. From the retreat or whatever. Editing it, I think."

Could a heart physically fall out of your chest? Maybe drop down to your ass? Somehow, my heart felt like it did both of those things. I stared at August while I had a very early midlife crisis. Holy shit, I couldn't breathe.