Page 123 of Manic

Rio snorts, finally turning to face me.

His eyes are bloodshot, dark circles etched beneath them like bruises. "Hurting? You don't know the meaning of the word, Tor. You still have Meghan. Your family is intact. I’m the only one who lost someone that day. None of you did."

His words hit me like a physical blow, and I have to resist the urge to flinch.

He's right, of course.

I can't even begin to imagine the depth of his pain.

But that doesn't mean I'm going to let him wallow in it.

"Look," I say, leaning in closer. "I know it's not the same. But those girls need their father. You can't keep drowning yourself in tequila and expect things to get better."

Rio's hand tightens around his glass, his knuckles turning white.

For a moment, I think he might throw it at me.

Instead, he knocks it back in one swift motion, slamming the empty glass down on the bar.

"You think I don't know that?" he growls. "You think I don't lie awake every night, hearing Cali cry for her mama? Or see the confusion in Florencia's eyes when she asks where mommy is?"

My heart clenches at the raw pain in his voice.

I want to reach out, to offer some kind of comfort, but I know it won't be welcomed.

Not right now.

"I'm not trying to lecture you, Rio," I say softly. "We're all worried about you. The girls are worried about you."

He laughs, a harsh, broken sound that sends a chill down my spine. "Worried? They should be terrified. I'm all they have left, and look at me. I'm a fucking mess."

I shake my head, frustration building in my chest. "That's bullshit, and you know it. They have all of us. The whole club is here for you, for them. But we can't replace their father."

Rio's shoulders slump even further, if that's possible.

He signals the bartender for another shot, ignoring my disapproving look.

"I don't know how to do this, Tor," he whispers, his voice so low I have to strain to hear it over the Bluetooth speakers playing in the background. "How am I supposed to raise two little girls on my own? How am I supposed to look at them every day and not see her face?"

The vulnerability in his tone catches me off guard.

This is the most he's opened up since... since it happened.

I choose my next words carefully, knowing they could make or break this moment.

"You're not on your own, brother," I say firmly. "And you honor Flora's memory by being the best damn father you can be to those girls. They're a part of her, Rio. Don't lose sight of that."

He doesn't respond, but I see his adam's apple bob as he swallows hard.

The bartender approaches with another shot, but I wave him off with a subtle shake of my head.

Rio doesn't seem to notice.

"I miss her so much, Tor," he says, his voice breaking. "It feels like there's a hole in my chest that nothing can fill."

I nod, understanding all too well the pain of loss. "I know, brother. And it's going to hurt for a long time. But you can't let it consume you. Flora wouldn't want that."

Rio turns to look at me, really look at me, for the first time since I sat down.

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