Page 134 of Burning Embers

“That’s the whole purpose of this conversation,” Gerry continues. “We want you to know that you have a home with us, always.Mi casa es tu casa.”

Hale’s eyebrows scrunch together. “Isn’t itsu casa?”

“Tumeans you, right?”

“Honey, I haven’t spoken Spanish in over thirty years. Don’t be asking me that.”

“Whatever.Su casa. Tu casa.” Gerry waves a flippant hand in the air. “Our house is your house.”

Unexpected tears scorch my eyes, but I quickly blink them away.

“I… I…” Swallowing, I clear my throat and try again. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank us.” Hale smiles gently at me, the movement causing the wrinkles around his eyes to deepen.“You’re family and—” A frown touches his face as he focuses on something over my shoulder. “Lissa? Where are you going?”

I pivot on my heel just in time to see Lissa hurrying towards the front door.

Or at least, a version of Lissa.

She wears a black sweatshirt a few sizes too big for her—probably Jake’s—and similarly colored leggings. When she turns to face us, I notice that her eyes are outlined in dark makeup and her lips are bloodred.

“What?” she snaps, folding her arms over her chest. “What the hell are you staring at?”

“Language,” Hale chastises instantly.

Lissa rolls her heavily made-up eyes. “I’ve heard worse from you two over the years. Don’t be hypocritical.”

I bite my lower lip to keep from saying anything.

Since the night Lissa found the body in the barn, she’s been…different. And not in a good way. I can’t remember the last time I saw her in pink, and she only talks to us when she wants to insult us. I understand that what she saw was traumatizing, but I miss the old Lissa.

Even if she did talk a lot.

I hoped that she would revert to her old self as soon as she started hanging out with her friends again, but I was wrong.

So, so wrong.

She kicked all of her friends out of the house as soon as they arrived the other day and hasn’t contacted them since.

“Izzy’s birthday is coming up,” Hale says, trying to infuse his voice with cheer.

Lissa gives him a droll look. “Yay,” she deadpans. “Does that mean I’ll finally have a room to myself again?”

I try really, really hard not to let hurt show on my face.

“Lissa!” Gerry snaps.

But my younger foster sister merely rolls her eyes. “Whatever. I’m going out.”

“Not on a school night—” Hale begins, but Lissa ignores him and quickly slips outside, the door slamming shut behind her. “Dammit,” Hale mutters as he pushes himself off the couch and hurries after her.

I watch his retreating back as concern for Lissa twists my stomach into knots.

“She’s going to be okay, Iz,” Gerry says in his gruff voice. He moves to stand beside me and places a hand on my shoulder. “She’s a tough kid.”

“She sleepwalked straight to a dead body,” I point out, nervously chewing on my nail. “That’s fucked up.”

Gerry rubs his palm down his face. “She’s a tough kid,” he repeats.

---