Page 7 of Possession

“Don’t be a fucking bastard.” Liam narrowed his eyes. “You know Tana, where’re your manners.” He barely concealed his smirk.

“I didn’t sleep great.” I stood, walked to the sink, and dumped my full bowl of cereal down the drain, running the water to wash it away.

Tana whispered something, at least I think it was her. I shut off the water and turned to look at them, to make sure, and caught her kissing Liam on the mouth. It was weird to watch. I’d seen him with quite a few women over the years, but Tana reminded me too much of Kelly and, as she pulled away, I saw the slight wince in his eyes. The tiny regret Tana pretended not to notice.

She lifted her heavily tattooed arms and pulled her curly, dull brown hair into a ponytail as she smiled up at my brother. “See you this Saturday?”

He took a deep breath. “I’ll text you.” The dismissal caused her fake smile to wane.

“Okay.” She had enough self-respect not to lean in for another kiss before she turned to leave. She grabbed her bag off the back of the couch before disappearing out the front door.

Liam and I watched her go in silence. Once the door shut, I removed the other bud from my ear and turned off my phone before placing it back into my pocket.

“She reminds me of Kelly,” I said.

“Fuck off.” He clenched his jaw.

“I’m serious. She looks—"

“I don’t see it,” he lied and swallowed down the lump of truth.

I afforded him the fiction. “Maybe I’m just seeing shit again.”

His lips twitched. “It wouldn’t be the first time, Dex.”

He helped himself to the box of Cap’n Crunch I’d left on the counter.

“I’m going to shower before I head down to open the shop.” He wasn’t my keeper, technically anymore, but old habits die hard.

“Did you take your meds?” he asked, not looking up from his breakfast.

“I will.”

“Don’t forget, Dex, last month—"

“I won’t.”

Last month I’d tried to wean myself off, I was tired of not feeling, of being a zombie. The voices fucked with me, but they gave me life, too. They bit and gnashed at my heart, but the side effect was art, images, and color. They told me I was alive, despite the lies that nourished me, and filled my gut with rot… I was alive.

“The med change, it’s helping, right, better balance?” He locked his dark eyes on mine.

I nodded. “I’m still wading through shit, but it’s better than being a robot.”

He gave me a small smile.

“The women? Does it help?” I risked asking, but seeing that small smile, it gave me fucking hope… for him… for me.

The muscle in his jaw pulsed as he raised his chin. “They fucking left us, Dex, nothing we can do about it but move the hell on. Paige stole your spirit, and Kelly, she… she left, Declan. What I had to offer wasn’t enough for her, it’s time I take care of myself… you know?”

I did.

Being alone, for so long, was beginning to feel too good. The vacant feeling inside my chest cheered too much at the dark and dank corners of my existence. When Paige left, she left me gaping, bleeding. The nails of her fingers still ripped and tore through my heart. She was the very specter that still sliced and clawed her way into my soul. Maybe it was time to wash myself clean of her curse.

“A woman gave me her number the other night.” I glanced at him with little interest, my usual mask.

Liam’s spoon dropped from his hand and clanged into the bowl. “And?” His lips curved up at the corners.

“I threw it out.” I dropped my eyes as his smile fell.

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