Page 114 of Darkness Falls

I squeeze her hand. "I know I haven't always been the most cooperative person. Thank you for being so patient with me."

"I knew I'd break through your grumpy shell at some point. I'm irresistible."

"That you are." I lean down and kiss her on the cheek. "Did you want to say a few words about him now?"

She nods and takes a deep breath before looking at the tree and walking toward it. I trail behind her, still holding her hand as we get closer to the center of the circle. When we finally stop in front of the tree, Callie reaches her free hand out and places it on the bark. She closes her eyes and looks up, taking another breath and soaking in the beauty of the moment.

I’m mesmerized, unable to take my eyes off of her. This is for Maxton, but seeing how full of emotion she is proves exactly how much she loved him. It makes me want to find a way to take the pain away, even though it’s not something I'll ever be able to do. Loss is a pain that can never be taken away, only managed.

My thoughts drift to when she first told me about him, and I'm instantly filled with guilt. I was so worried about myself, and I made her feel awful for even talking about him. I called her a liar and told her that she didn’treally love him. They're definitely words I've come to regret. Thankfully, she’s forgiving and can look past it.

She keeps her hand on the tree but isn't able to speak at the moment. I think she may be overwhelmed by everything, so I take the opportunity to help her. I bring my hand up to the tree and mimic her placement before looking over at her.

"Would it be okay if I said a few words first?"

She seems shocked, but there are things I need to get off my chest, and hopefully, this will give her more courage to say what she needs to. She’s clearly struggling, so it's time for me to man up and be vulnerable.

When she nods, I clear my throat and look up at the branches. "Maxton, I know you don't know me, but I'm your half-brother Sebastian. I tried to find you, and I regret that I wasn't successful. I want to thank you. It's because of you that Callie came into our lives, and while it may not have been the most conventional way, she is the best thing to ever happen to my brothers and me."

I glance over at her tear-filled eyes and give her a weak smile before continuing.

"Thank you for showing our girl how to love and giving her something to look forward to when everything else around her was so bleak. You were there to love and support her when she needed it most and gave her hope. I can't wait to hear more stories about you, and I hope that one day, when we finally meet in whatever afterlife is out there, you won’t be too upset with me for taking your girl. You'redefinitely not getting her back, though."

"Seb!" Callie laughs and nudges my arm.

"What? I’m just making sure he knows. I'm not sharing you with anyone else."

She shakes her head and drops my hand, focusing on the tree before she begins speaking in a hushed tone at first. "Maxton, I miss you so much. I want to start by saying I will always love you, and I'm so thankful for the time you and I had together. You were the best part of my days and one of the only people I could depend on when I was at Rogue. The two years that we spent together as a couple will always be so special to me. Even before we made things official, you were always there, and living without you has been so fucking hard. I'm sorry my father hurt you because of me. I'm sorry I didn't go back for you. I’m sorry you had to die alone. I will always hold onto a piece of guilt for not being strong enough to let you go when my father told me I had to marry Damien. If I had, maybe you would still be here today. I was just so selfish."

She pauses for a moment to look over at me.

"It's not your fault," I reassure her.

"I think about the good times we had often. Having a tree here as a memorial for you couldn't be any more fitting. I remember the time you and I snuck into the woods surrounding Rogue and carved our initials into a tree with a heart around it. We had plans for forever, and it hurts that our forever was taken from us. I hope you can forgive me for moving on and finding love with Kyler,Barrett, and Sebastian. You will always hold a special place in my heart. You were my first love, and I will never forget you."

Her hand falls from the tree, and she reaches into her pocket, pulling out a small knife before flipping it open to carve something in the tree. I try to stay in the moment with her, but seeing her use the knife on the tree pulls me into a memory of my mother.

"Sebastian, slow down, sweetie," my mother calls out as I run down the path.

We went to the park to see the ducks in the pond because I loved seeing them swim around in circles. I was running ahead to see if I could get to the ducks faster because it had been over a month since the last time we went there. When I got to the pond, I was sad because they weren't there.

"Ducks, Mommy."

She smiled at me with sad eyes and knelt down to extend her arms so I could lean into her embrace. When she lifted me up, she squeezed me tightly and shook me around, making me giggle.

"Sometimes the ducks have to go home, Seb. They can't stay at the pond and play all day. Since they’re not here, they must have already gone home for the day. We will have to come back and see them some other time."

"Ducks!" I shouted, still not understanding why they weren't out in the pond like they always were.

"Ihave an idea. Let’s do something special today," my mother says with a smile before placing me on the ground and grabbing my hand.

She led me over to the line of trees and pulled a small knife out of her purse before she crouched down next to me. I watched in astonishment when she dug the tip of the knife into the bark and started writing letters. She made a few lines before she put the knife back into her purse. When she looked down, I was so confused.

"Heart," I said, looking at the heart my mother carved into the surface of the bark.

"This spot right here will always belong to us, my little Sebby. You and me. If the ducks aren't here, we can remember this spot right here. You can remember how much Mommy loves you."

I giggled and hugged her before reaching out to touch the spot on the tree.

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