Page 25 of The Eleventh Hour

“The children somehow escaped the fire, but in their fear, didn’t seek help, they just ran. No one knows why. At dawn, the searchers found their burn-covered bodies curled up together on the slide.”

I wave a hand towards the rusted metal.

“I don’t believe you,” Dane grits out.

“I don’t really care,” I say back simply and coldly.

“Tell me about my brother,” Dane grinds out furiously.

“I don’t know anything about him, not really. We didn’t speak much.” It’s not a lie, we didn’t have much to do with each other, it was just a connection.

“Were you cheating with him?” Dane snarls at me.

“No!” I spit out, horrified. “It wasn’t like that.” I shrug helplessly. “He came to my shows, my gallery. Talked to me about a painting. We just spoke to each other like friends.” I look around helplessly. “It was nothing.” My hands clench, and I blink back tears before I sag. “It was everything. We didn’t know each other, but it felt like we did,” I whisper. “It was wrong, so wrong, but we stopped. Nothing happened.”

Dane opens his mouth, but Rafael steps forward and slides in between us.

“Can you help us?”

“In what way?” I ask when my ability to talk returns.

“Help us understand what happened in those last few weeks, where he might have gone. You were the last person to see him alive.”

I turn away from Rafael and move through the grass to stand in front of the swing. The sun has set, and my hallucinations have appeared. I feel a whisper of Gideon’s touch on the back of my neck, and then he’s gone, too bright still for him. But rainbow shimmers out of the corner of my eye dance crazily through the world. They almost remind me of a swarm of butterflies or birds. There is something joyous and playful about the way they move.

Terrance…

No, I can’t.

“I can’t help you,” I say at last.

“Why not?” Dane shouts.

I whirl back towards him and put my hands on my hips. Dane is all energy, all emotion, his hair lifts in the breeze, cut in a stylishly jagged way that speaks of movement. His blue eyes cut through me, and I see how he feels reflected there. His face is sharp angles that have so much personality.

He’s taller than Rafe, who is very boy next door. But his gold eyes are kinder and wiser. He’s hesitant and cautious. They are stunning men.

“Because I’ve tried, and it’s all gone. Every clue I can remember that might lead back to Louis,” I spit the word, “is gone. Erased.”

Rafael touches Dane’s back. The gesture is small, almost unnoticed, but the intimacy of it speaks volumes.

“Work with us, try, and if it fails, we will walk away and not bother you anymore.”

I heave a sigh and turn away. A black shape moves slowly in front of us and stops at the swing. I watch as it hops on, and the swing starts to move. Rafael and Dane’s heads snap towards the swing. I watch as Rafael stiffens and rubs his arms.

I owe it to him, to Terrance. I remember the butterflies and the smile that seeped into my dreams. Still, I remember the guilt and the secret thrill. The helpless need, the draw to be near him. How his hand felt on mine, just a passing touch, but sometimes I can still feel it. I’d wondered what happened. Of course, I had. He disappeared. But I never thought…I’d hoped…

I close my eyes tight, trying to suppress the guilt. Of fucking course. It would’ve been stupid to assume otherwise, but everything had been such a damn mess. Lots of people disappeared from my life at the same time.

But Terrance…he was something special. I owe him this. One last attempt.

“All right,” I croak.

“You’ll help?” Rafael asks quietly, but I can hear the contained excitement.

“Yes. I’ll help, but I’m not kidding when I said I’ve tried everything I can think of to find information. I can’t guarantee we will find anything out.”

Dane narrows his eyes. I can tell he doesn’t trust me. That’s okay. It will make it easier.

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