The Certainty (Book Four in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Like A Black Sunrise

“Tell me again why the girls are always half naked in these scary movies?”

The heroine screamed on the screen and buried my face in my brother’s shirt. Sebastis and Luke had come half a week early on my request. I hadn’t told Michael about Aidan’s visit and I needed someone to talk to. My brother was the closest to sympathetic I could get. It was cutting into my alone time with Michael but he didn’t seem to mind. If it made me happy then he was happy.

That’s how I came to be crammed on the couch in the living room with my three boys watching a horror movie. Not exactly what I wanted but I’d have to wait it out. Sebastis would lose that stunned look in a few days and then I’d be able to talk to him. I just had to hold on until then, keep the seams from tearing anymore than they were.

“Ok. That’s just…gross,” I said as the villain cut off the girl’s head.

My brother laughed. “That’s the way it is, Grem! Horror flicks are supposed to be filled with death, blood, and half naked chicks.”

“Then I vote that we turn this off and put in a romantic comedy. I don’t want to watch this.”

They all groaned. “No!” Luke said. “You only have an hour left. Suffer through it.”

“Only if everyone promise to watch a romantic comedy with me afterwards.”

“Afterwards, I’m going to bed,” my brother said. “It’s getting late as it is and that flight was long.”

“Come on, Bast!” I said squeezing his arm. “Please?” I gave him my pouty face, trying to communicate to him that I needed to talk to him.

“No,” he said, not even looking at me. “No, no, no. That doesn’t work if I don’t look at you.”

“If we were playing a game with zombies you’d stay up with me.”

He looked at me. “Your point?”

“Come on.”

“Hey. I still owe you for that rude wakeup call you left me with, so no. Suffer the horror movie.”

I groaned and got up from my seat. My brother could be a real pain sometimes. I left the room, ignoring their protests behind me. My mind was so…jumbled of late. It’d been two days since I saw Aidan and I was still processing it all. I needed someone to bounce things off of but the person who was here was busy watching the remake of Friday the Thirteenth.

I reached in my pocket and dug out the rectangle card Jon Winter had given me. For some reason I kept putting it in my shorts pockets and I didn’t know why.

Don’t hesitate to call if you ever need anything.

No that was a bad idea. I pocketed the card again, quickly running out of options. I didn’t have a long list of people I talked to. I couldn’t talk to Michael about it because I’d feel like I betrayed him. I couldn’t talk to my parents because they hated Aidan and I was still at odds with them. My brother was busy. Sophie wouldn’t understand. Luke hated Aidan as much as Michael if not more.

Ugh! There was no one. I banged my hands on the counter.

“Whoa there,” Luke said. “Anger issues much?”

I looked up at him and plastered my fake smile on.

“Just frustrated.”

“I don’t know why. Is it about the movie?” I shook my head. “This place is amazing, Gee. It’s got all the distractions anyone could want.”

I just shook my head. “Not for me.”

“Then come play a game with me. Maybe that will help take your mind off it.”