Page 92 of Catch the Sun

It makes sense that we’d end the night tossing sticks over a bridge with moonlight glinting off the water. Silver ripples stare up at us as we lean over, side by side, then race to the opposite railing.

Laughing, I point down at the stream. “I win again. You suck at this.”

“I didn’t realize there was any strategy involved.”

“There must be. I’ve never seen anyone lose every single time.”

Max sighs, shaking his head as he bends over the rail. “The water is cursed.”

“Not from my perspective.” I match his stance against the railing and our elbows bump together. Even the slightest brush has a shot of heat zipping through me. Glancing at him, I trail my eyes over his profile peeking out from his black hoodie. “Your father was…unexpected,” I murmur. “He’s not who I thought he’d be.”

His jaw tics as he stares down at the glimmering stream. “Yeah. I haven’t seen him so clearheaded in years.” Max pulls his chin up and stares skyward. “I haven’t noticed him drinking lately. He must be past the detox stage.”

I twist around, my back to the rail. “He seems like a good man who just lost his way.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Max agrees. “McKay thinks he’s a lost cause.”

“Your brother was notably absent at dinner tonight,” I note, fiddling with my long, baggy sleeve. I’m wearing Max’s hoodie over my black cocktail dress—the one he let me borrow at the festival. It still smells like him. “I’m sorry he’s not more supportive.”

My knees knock together when a bitter wind whips us in the face and the chill travels down my bare legs.

Pivoting to the same position beside me, Max folds his arms and glances down at the bridge. “Yeah. I keep trying to pull him back and he keeps runningfarther away. But he’s my family, so I won’t give up. Blood is thicker than water, you know?”

I gnaw on my lip as his statement slithers through me like tar. “Funny enough, that phrase was intended to mean the opposite of how we say it these days.”

Max frowns, looking over at me. “How do you figure?”

“The original passage is actually, ‘The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,’” I tell him, meeting his eyes. “Contrary to popular belief, it emphasizes that the relationships we choose can be stronger than our family ties. It highlights the value of bonds formed by choice over those we were born into.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Yep. Whenever I want to hate Jonah a little extra, I try to remind myself of that. He’s blood but he’s no longer my family. He lost the title when he pulled that trigger.” I shrug, inspecting my fingernails. “It doesn’t really work. I still love him, so it only makes me hate myself.”

The human mind is a reckless beast. It clings to memories and bonds, no matter how much logic tells us otherwise. Trying to separate love from resentment, especially for family, is like attempting to untangle intertwined threads. One always follows the other.

“You’re freezing.”

My legs are bobbing up and down and my teeth are chattering. “It’s cold out.”

“Michigan is colder,” he says.

I can’t help but smile as I glance up at him. Max Manning’s memory is a steel trap. “I’d rather be cold there.”

“Why’s that?” His face falls as he moves to fully look at me, his brows creasing.

“It’s far away from here.”

That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway. Miles away from these soul-sucking memories, this judgmental town, and the high-security prison that’s a mere three hours away—a place I’m inexplicably drawn to. Far from my mother who poured every ounce of love and savings into her murderous son and left her daughter to deteriorate in the aftermath.

But as I swivel back around to stare out at the open sky, I feel a hand curl around my bicep to pull me back.

Max whispers softly, “It’s far away from me.”

My heart skips as a shot of sadness rolls through me and our gazes tangle beneath the moonlight. “Max…”

He drops his hand and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket, then begins to scroll. Moments later, a song starts to play.

I grind my teeth together to keep the emotions at bay. “What’s this one called?”

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