Clear as the ocean (Waves of clarity, book 1)

Chapter 30

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"I ran into some trouble a few days back. It was the same day as the surf qualifications"

Hayden paused to calm her nerves. With all four of them staring up at her, wondering what she was going to say, the preassure was on.

"Actually, that's probably not the right place to start"

Hayden fumbled nervously with her fingers, slowly shaking her head.

"So the deal is that I have a brother" she confessed, leaving room for discussion.

"Ehm, yeah. We already knew that Hayd. What's going on with u? You're getting all worked up, and I can literally see pearls of sweat forming on your forhead"
Vienna spoke with a worried look on her face.

Hayden shook her head again, having a hard time forming the words inside her head.

She looked over at Zachary for help, but all she got in response was a shrug. He was trying to make it easy for her- no pressure- and she was grateful for that, but the thing was that it was a big deal, and she still wasn't a hundred percent certain that she should tell them.

"That's not what I meant V. I ran into this gang, and it turns out that one of the members is my older brother, Raymond"

"Hold up. Did you just say that you encountered a gang? Hell's going on with you these days?" Phoenix asked, looking frustrated as fuck.

"And you have another brother? How is he, and why have we never heard of him? Better yet, why had you never heard of him?" Brody added, entering the conversation after downing a full glass of iced tea.

Hayden sighed.

"It's complicated you guys, and I don't want to go into detail. The main point is that I have brother, and he is a former drugaddict and still a member of a gang"

Hayden rushed the words out in order to get it over with as soon as possible.

They were all taking in the information, exept for Zach, who already knew most of it.

"And?"
Zachary rested his elbows on his knees and encouraged her to keep going.

Reluctantly, Hayden decided to spill the beans about Feank as well.

"And there was this guy- their leader I think- who.. Well, lets just say that I didn't get too good of a vibe from him"

A big underexagerarion, but what was she supposed to say? That she heard a gunshot and was possibly at a murder scene?

"Did he hurt you?"
Phoenix had a stern look on his face,  hands fisted together so hard that his knuckles turned white.

Hayden swallowed what seemed like an ocean of saliva, and tried to keep herself together.

"Not really"

"Not really? Either he did or he didn't Hayd. Which one is it?" Phoenix asked.

"He just grabbed me by my shirt"
she confessed, quick to add the fact that it didn't cause her much pain.

"He grabbed you!? What the hell Hayden? Why isn't this room swerming with cops right now?"

"Calm down Phee, let her talk" Vienna tried to reason with him.

"It really wasn't that bad. It's what he said that scared me"
Midway in what she was about to say, Hayden realized that she would have to tell them about the gunshot as well, if they were going to understand anything at all.