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chapter twenty-five | the stains
LAUREL'S JAW FELL open in disbelief after her sister revealed to her everything she has kept secret, "How could you—"
"He came back with Rick's gun!" She started to raise her voice, becoming defensive.
Laurel shushed her, "don't yell, just explain everything to me."
"I saw it. Rick, he gave Otis his gun... Shane brought it back," Cassie lowered her voice, scooting closer to her sister, "the moment he came back, he was― was different, he's less... he's just crazy. You know it, too."
Laurel didn't deny it. Shane has been off the charts since they got to the farm, he has been always high-strung and narcissistic since the moment they met at the quarry but since the first night at the farm, she's seen what her younger sister has. But, the one thing she was confused about was how her sister didn't trust her enough to tell her these things and how she found out everything else.
"Lori, she told you to keep her secrets? And, you, Ethan, she told you everything and neither of you came to me?" Laurel looked at both of them, with hurt clear as day on her face.
That's when Ethan scoffed, tossing the book to the side. "You know what, Laurel? Maybe if you were here more with us than out with Daryl or― or Rick, maybe, just maybe you would've known about all of this a long time ago. Like, you're pulling the same crap like you did when Mom and Dad were still alive and you were a teenager." Ethan grabbed his boots and stood up, flipping the tent flap open, and stomped out, putting his boots on as he walked away.
Laurel and Cassie watched him leave in silence. Laurel bit her lip, flopping back onto her sleeping bag. She brought her arms to cover her face and let out a shaky sigh. Cassie slid closer to her, laying down as she slowly wrapped her arms around Laurel's waist who lifted her arms from her face and let Cassie rest her head on one of them, holding her hand with the other.
"I'm sorry, Cass. I won't leave without a goodbye anymore, I promise," Laurel whispered.
Cassie sniffled, "thank you."
Ethan made his way to the RV, where the fisherman of the group sat on the beach chair with his rifle in his lap and his fisherman's hat sat on his head, even though the sun was going down along with the temperature.
Ethan climbed the ladder, and Dale looked back to see who it was. "Didn't you have watch earlier today, son?"
He sat down next to Dale, crossing his legs. "Yeah, I just... need a moment," the teen grumbled.
Dale hummed, staring at the kid trying to read his body language. But Ethan was stoic and the only thing that gives him any signs of emotion was his tensed body. "Wanna talk about it?"
Ethan stayed quiet, playing with the ankle hem on his jeans. "Just... I feel emotionless. About everything. I know I should love my sisters, or, even be sad or angry about the end of the world or whatever. But, the only thing is I haven't felt anything since... it doesn't matter, never mind."
