Page 114 of Serpentine

Dad sits and takes a few deep breaths, tidying already straight papers.

He’s nervous, I realize. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen him nervous.

“Aella, I wanted to introduce you to someone…” He trails off as he looks over toward the woman who isn’t hiding how she’s judging every morsel of me, down to my slip-resistant work shoes.

I’m spiraling in my head, wondering why he chose the middle of my work shift to introduce me to who I can only assume is his girlfriend, but then his following words stop my brain from working altogether.

“This is Susan Bardot. I believe you know her boys?” Dad says, and my heart ceases beating. The world stills; somewhere, a pig takes off from the side of a mountain and flies.

Know her boys? Yeah, I’d say I do.

“You…I…wait a minute…” I stammer.

Her lips curl in a smile. One that’s so dazzling, and I can see why the boys spent their entire lives looking for her.

She had to have been their entire world.

“I know your boys,” I whisper, turning towards her in my chair and glaring at her.

Her eyes. They’re Miles’s eyes. The hard edges bleed into soft pools of blue you could get lost in. Shit, half of me thought my dad was getting lost in their depths.

“You knew where she was this entire fucking time?” I spew, turning back toward him in anger. “You knew, and you let them believe she was dead? Fuck, you attended her funeral!”

I flick my gaze between them as Susan drops her face, agony sprouting from it as she greets my stare again.

“There was no other way,” my dad murmurs.

It only makes me seethe more. There’s always another way.

“When were you going to tell them?” I ask Susan pointedly. “When were you going to tell the boys that loved you so much they sunk into a dangerous world to find you that you were alive and well?”

“I wasn’t.” Her answer comes in a soft, sincere tone, and I almost feel bad for being such an asshole to her.

Almost.

“Why?” I ask, agonizing pleading melding into my tone.

“Because I didn’t want to see this on their faces. I don’t know you, and it still stings.” She brushes back dark hair that had fallen into her face, tucking it behind one ear. “I couldn’t stand to see their disappointment. Feel their anger.”

“How fucking selfish.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Aella!” Dad chastises.

“No, Dad. It’s selfish. And you? How are you mixed up in this fucking charade?”

His guilt-filled eyes flick down to the table, where there’s nothing else to pretend to straighten, so his hands just fidget.

“He helped hide me,” Susan says, but I don’t look away from my father.

When he looks up at me, his face is earnest, remorseful. “I asked her to tell them—begged her. But she wouldn’t have it. Said they were safe while James was preoccupied looking for me.”

“Preoccupied? Safe? What are you talking about? Miles’s father wasn’t bad, right? He took in Braxton from the streets, after all. He couldn’t be all that bad. I know he formed the Cobras, but they do good for the community.” I sound like a raving maniac coming to terms with her surroundings. Like I’m realizing all my beliefs aren’t fundamental, after all.

“Can’t be all that bad,” Susan corrects.

“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.

“He’s still alive. Let’s speak about him as such.” Fear rushes through her face before she gains control over it.

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