no savior.

nobody else

Layne's POV

I storm out the house and get into my car, but wait before starting it. A part of me wants her to chase after me. Wants her to run out the house, and beg me to stay. But part of me knows that that's a terrible idea. I exhale and pull away, my childhood home fading from view, dissolving into the trees.

I drive home numb. Today had been a good day. The barber shop. Us talking. I run a hand through my impossibly short hair, shaking. I had put so much trust into her. And the whole time she was keeping secrets. And BIG secrets at that.

I make it all the way home before I fall apart completely. An unholy whale escapes my chest as I fall apart in the confines of my car. By the time I'm finished my throat is raw and my face is flush from crying.

Eventually I pull myself together enough and head inside to be greeted by Max. "I missed you too, buddy," I kiss his forehead and make my way to my room, collapsing immediately, my exhaustion catching up to me. Moments later there's a knock.

"Hey." I look up and see Dil in the doorway.

"I see you're back to your old habits," he comments, then explains when I give him a confused look, "You're wearing her clothes, again. Like you did in high school."

I look down at my t-shirt-- which is really her t-shirt--- and laugh dryly. The joggers are her's too. "I guess."

He takes my response as an invitation to come in and takes a seat next to me, "Brother to sister? You alright?"

"God no. You know what she told me?" I shake my head and laugh, "She was there. She was a fucking witness!"

"I'm sorry," He pulls me in for a hug, "I---"

"Please don't tell me 'I told you so'," I interrupt, "That's not what I need to hear right now."

"I wasn't gonna say that," He continues to hold me, rubbing my back.

"Did you know that?" I ask, "Did you know she was there?"

He exhales, "I figured. She was always around. The police said they had an 'anonymous tip'."

I go silent. Up until now, everyone knew more about my suicide than me.

"I'm sorry. We shouldn't--" Dil clears his throat, "I shouldn't've lied to you."

"Apology accepted," I blink back tears. We fall into another lull.

"I don't know if it helps," he pauses, "But I think you'll be okay."

"How would you know that?" I reply, "You and Dru seem to be doing just fine."

"The truth is," he exhales a shaky breath, "Dru and I were married before your coma even happened."

"What?" I pull away from him.

"You were so busy being pissed at us I never really got to tell you our story," he explains, "Dru and I met on the internet. And I get that that's weird but we really made a connection. I convinced him to move out here and then we got married in court right around the time Mom moved us out here."

"You've kept it a secret that long?" I say in shock, "But Mom---"

"I know I know I know! I should've told her," he sighs, "I should've told you too. I was going to but it never seemed to be the right time."

"Why did you hide it in the first place?" I question. For almost a whole year my brother was living an entirely different life.

"You know how Mom was," he shrugs, "I was scared how she'd react."