Page 52 of Embers Glow After the Fire

Robbie is curled into his arms.

Brendon can’t breathe. His ears are muffled by the blood pounding his arteries. He’s staring gape mouthed at the cliff Christian toppled over.

He scuffles to his hands and knees and scurries across the dirt until his fingers find the drop away.

“Brendon?” Matthew’s gravelly voice is lightyears away.

The ledge looks over jutting boulders, into a cover of trees flooded by darkness the moonlight can’t reach at least thirty feet down. His lungs restart and burn with the pine-tinctured air. His chest heaves and his gut hurls. His eyes fill and droplets fall from his cheeks into the pitch black below.

His dry throat swallows and he jumps to his feet, sprinting across the ridge toward the decline, and lumbering down the steep rooted soil, grasping back at handfuls to steady himself against gravity. It gathers under his fingernails and splintered limbs puncture his hands.

His feet find the lower level and he darts around the ledge, into the darkness, wading through shrubs that knick his bare shins. “Christian?” he calls out.

He peers back to try and gauge where he dropped from but his swimming eyes won’t focus. His heart feels explosive, beating against his ribcage and competing with lungs desperately trying to fill with air.

Tears flow, but they're not for Christian. The love he once felt had long turned to pity and even hatred. He’s sad he brought this mess to these new friends. He’s poisoned their lives with his toxicity. If Christian isn’t okay, he's not letting anyone else take the heat for what happened.

“Brendon?” Matthew’s feet stomp the dirt at the bottom of the climb. He shuffles through the dense greenery. “Where are you?”

Brendon sobs. “I can’t find him.”

Matthew’s arms wrap him tight and his body eases until the embrace feels undeserving. He pushes off Matthew’s chest and parts leafy limbs, bending to climb under and through them.

Christian’s tattooed calf is on the ground poking out from behind a huge maple tree.

“Christian?” Brendon’s voice is low and horse.

Matthew grips his shoulder and stops him from stepping forward. He squeezes past his arm and lifts his knee over a fallen limb to peek around the tree. “Fuck.” His voice is strained and scratchy. He turns back and meets Brendon’s eyes, shaking his head side to side and wrapping around him again. Tighter so he can’t push away.

Brendon collapses onto his shoulder, drenching his shirt with tears. “I’m sorry.”

Matthew clutches the back of his head and holds him up.

Brendon knots his arms around Matthew’s torso.

Jamie and Nathan round the bend, flashing light into the bush.

“Go call 9-1-1.” Matthew struggles to speak.

The pair huff back down the trail toward the cabin.

Dennis’ light shines down from cliff. “Guys?”

Matthew shields Brendon from seeing Christian and ushers him back onto the path. He takes his hand and leads the way up to the plateau where Dennis is pacing around Robbie sitting cross-legged on the ground.

“Am I going to prison?” His eyes dart to meet everyone.

“No!” Brendon crouches at his side. “This is on me.”

“Brendon—” Matthew starts to protest.

“I brought this here. None of you are taking the blame for this.” He buries his face in both palms. “Christian is my mess.”

“He attacked you.” Matthew’s fingertips brush on Brendon’s shoulder before he pulls away.

“You guys weren’t here.” Brendon paces. “I pushed him.” He sees the bruises forming on Matthew’s neck already. “Go back to the cabin Matthew.” He demands.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Matthew stomps. “He fell off the cliff.” He hangs an arm over the edge and twists back. “That is what happened. He attacked us and lost his footing. Its no one else’s fault.”

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