Page 67 of Shadow and Skulls

I rub my finger over the star in the branch. “He smiled at me and told me everything would be okay, but he didn’t take me home. He just sat with me as the sun disappeared behind the trees.” I laugh lightly. “He picked up a cottonwood branch and broke it.” I reach for another branch, holding it in the air. “He broke it right here,” I say, hoping more than anything that Tank is watching me and he can see what I’m talking about.

“Anyway, he told me a story about how the stars used to live in the ground, but the sound of the river drew them into the cottonwood roots. He said they moved high into the branches, where they waited for the wind to blow them into the sky.”

I rest my head against the bark, staring up through the tree limbs. “Shortly after, I heard my mother calling my name. I rushed down the path and into her arms. I told her about the man, but when we went back to thank him, he was gone. Only the broken stick remained.”

The sound of a branch snapping a few feet away brings a smile to my face.

“I don’t know if he was real. I’ve often wondered if the universe sent him to comfort me, to keep me calm until my mother foundme.” I laugh again. “I’m starting to wonder if you are real too, or just some apparition sent to me when I needed him most.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tank

My heart aches to step out from behind this tree. To grab her and spin her around. To share in her happiness that she’s finally stepping into herself. To hold her as she says goodbye to the era of living at home with her parents. To kiss away her tears as her soul longs for mine.

But we agreed we would respect her parents on this. They’re good people. And even though I might be able to see a part of her they can’t, I know they know her better than I do … eventually I hope to change that.

When she goes inside and the lights turn on, the colors of the old windows come to life. Same as her. She’s remembering who Kelsie is, and she’s finally shining a light on the parts of her she’s kept hidden. Her new family helped her heal physically and mentally, all while she kept those vulnerable parts of herself tucked away. I’m glad she’s letting them see more of her.

I walk the perimeter of her new home, tugging on the door gently to make sure she locked it.Good girl.I’d like to scold her for not closing the curtains, but I think it’s her way of inviting me in.

She’s curled up in the middle of a four-poster bed, reading.

Occasionally her eyes lift from the page, and she stares out the window. I wonder if she can feel my gaze upon her beautiful face.

Eventually the book falls from her hands, and she drifts to sleep. I stay until her father steps out from the shadows, repeating my steps, checking the door quietly.

I slide into the darkness, smiling to myself. I’d wondered if he would make an appearance. He loves Kelsie as if she were his biological daughter. He’s a man of integrity.

I’m happy in the thought that one day, he’ll be the grandfather of my children.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Kelsie

Iwake to a pounding on my front door. My heart jumps clean up my throat, making me cough.

“It’s me, Kels!” Ash hollers from the other side.

Quickly, I rush to open the door. He’s holding someone in his arms. I hold it open, urging him inside.

“What happened?” I ask, noticing it’s Lexi as he lays her on my bed.

She whimpers, trying to keep her face hidden in his chest.

“Oh my god.” I rush to the sink, dampening a washcloth.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he whispers, pushing her dark hair away from her face.

I climb up on the other side of her, wiping the dirt away from her skin. Her cheek is red and swollen.

“Does she need a doctor?” I ask.

“Probably, but then they’ll ask questions,” Ash says, shushing her again when she begins to cry.

“Did Matt do this?” I ask.

She grimaces, pulling away from me.

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