Page 141 of The Spider & the Storm

It was my turn to grunt a sound as I nodded. “I don't think I'm that strong,” I admitted in a tone flatter than the floor she stood on, challenging her as much as myself.

“I think you are,” she replied without hesitation. “I think you're as strong as you allow yourself to be.”

“Oh, so you think it's my fault I can't let shit go?” I tilted my head, glaring at her with a dare to continue.

She dropped her gaze to the sweater in her hands and sucked in a deep breath, thinking before continuing. Then, she carefully said, “No …butI think you've spent a really long time believing you can’t do anything about it.”

“Ididdo something about it,” I countered. “I fuckingran. And guess what. They're still up here.” I tapped my temple with a sardonic smirk even though I knew better. My demons weren't just living in my head; they were in my fucking house.

Stormy clenched her jaw and focused on the sweater, aggressively stuffing it into the bag, unfolded. She stepped over the clothes scattered over the bedroom floor and climbed onto the bed to crawl on her hands and knees until her palms gripped my knees and her eyes bored into mine.

“Maybe instead of running, you need to look those fucking bastards in the eye and tell them to leave you the fuck alone.”

She pulled my knees apart, flattening my bent legs to the mattress until she had the room to climb onto my lap. Wrapping her legs around my waist and cradling my face in her hands. My forehead fell against hers as my lids drifted shut, my lungs emptying and my hands holding tight to her crazy nest of hair.

“I'm so fucking tired,” I admitted, the weary agony dragging my voice down to a whisper.

“Then, stop running away from the monsters that keep chasing you. They'll always catch up—always.” Her featherlight touch soothed the lines beneath my eyes and the tension at mytemples. “Don't show them your weaknesses, and they won't have anything to feed on. Stare them down and prove you're stronger than they are.”

“You make that sound so easy.”

“It's not. And sometimes, they'll get the better of you. But you're not alone anymore, Charlie. You realize that, right? You're not alone. And anytime you feel like running, anytime you want to hide, you tell me. I don't run, not anymore, and I won't let you either.”

“The right woman won't run away.”

I swallowed repeatedly at the emotion and pain clotting in my throat as I sent a thought out into the night.“I found her, Luke. I found her, just as you always said I would.”

“You just tell me what I'm fighting against, Charlie, and I'll go into battle with you.”

I folded my arms around her tight and buried my face against her neck. I held on and swore to every part of my being that I'd tell her everything soon. But not yet. For now, I held her, pressing my lips to her neck over and over and over again, and with every one, I passed along the message thatI found her, I found her, I foundher, but … no.

I hadn't found her.

She had found me.

And I was so, so tired ofrunning.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CONNECTICUT, PRESENT DAY

In the passenger seat, I kept my eyes on the painted lines zipping by, never on the passing road signs, and tried to remember the last time I'd celebrated Thanksgiving … or any holiday for that matter.

I spoke out loud, rambling needlessly to Stormy about childhood celebrations and how Melanie had tried to keep things special in the years after my parents died. It was all I could do to keep my brain from fixating on how close we were to crossing the state line.

And Stormy listened to every word, never once changing the subject. Only asking the occasional question to keep me talking, distracted and focused.

“Wasn't Melanie, like, your brother's age?”

I nodded, running my finger along the window ledge. “Three years older than me, yeah.”

“And how old were you when your parents passed away?”

“Fifteen.” Twenty-three years ago. God. How had I managed to survive a day without them, let alone over two fucking decades?

“So, this eighteen-year-old girl moved into your house, cooked, cleaned, cared for you guys, and made sure you continued to celebrate holidays?” Her voice hung on an astonishment I'd felt steadily ever since I'd let go of my stupid teenage angst and distaste toward my brother's former girlfriend and fiancée.

I nodded slowly, easily allowing the ache of missing Melanie to cloud my vision of the dashes painted onto the road. “Yep.”

---