Page 93 of Into The Darkness

“I won’t hurt him.” Ash paused. “For you. Everything I do is for you.”

“Thank you.” A deep breath escaped from my lungs.

“Mi sol?” His hands came up to trace my jawline as he gazed into my eyes.

“Yeah?”

I’ll never forget the way his eyes filled with such deep sadness. “I love you.”

Chapter thirty-seven

The next day, I didn’t leave my bed. Marissa texted me to see if I was okay, my brother followed up, and there was a text from Maddy asking if I wanted to go to a party this weekend.

I didn’t even realize an entire twenty-four hours passed until someone knocked at my apartment door.

“Maddy, someone is here,” I cried out but realized it was Friday and she had class, so I begrudgingly got out of bed and looked through the peephole.

“Walsh?” I asked as I opened the door. My brother stood with a dozen donuts.

“Glazed, just like you like them?” I opened the door farther, and he came in.

“Is this a peace offering for ruining my life?” I said, pulling open the box and grabbing a donut.

“Remember when Mom got so mad at Dad on Christmas for forgetting the ingredients to the cinnamon rolls so he—”

“Came back with a dozen glazed donuts.” I smiled at remembering how frantic my dad had been, thinking he ruined Christmas.

“I wanted to tell you, Ember,” Walsh said as he took a seat on the leather couch. I followed him, crossing my legs on the opposite end.

“Why’d you let me date him for so long? I still don’t get it.”

“I just needed to make sure Dad knew and we got him lured out for the bonfire . . .” he said, embarrassment laced in his tone.

“Did Dad make the call?” I asked frantically.

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“I guess after the bonfire, they are going to sit down . . .” The corners of his lips turned up in a smile.

“We did it?” I asked again, almost questioning the reality of what had transpired.

“Eh. Will he sit down with us? Yeah. Does that mean anything?” His response carried a sense of cynicism, as if he doubted the significance of the progress we’d made.

“But it’s a step in the right direction.” I clung to this hope, using it as a fragile shield against the pain that threatened to consume me. There had to be a reason behind all this turmoil between Ash and me.

“You’re not going to confront him tomorrow, are you?” I asked. Walsh rose from the couch and walked over to the expansive window, gazing out at the dense forest beyond. He exhaled deeply before turning his attention back to me.

“I made you a promise, Ember.” His sigh held a weight of resignation. “I might look like the villain here, but since we were kids, all I’ve ever wanted was to ensure your safety.”

His eyes returned to the trees. “The night Mom died, I was just a kid myself. I hid you in the closet and would’ve done anything to shield you. I felt responsible for protecting you and going downstairs to make sure no harm came to you.”

The tears were welling up again, threatening to overcome me. My brother’s words resonated deeply; he was right in his own way.

“I believed it was my duty to protect you.” His sigh was heavy with the weight of his emotions. He then moved toward the door, about to leave, when I stopped him, wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug.

Walsh was shocked at first, but then reciprocated the embrace. We separated, and he walked toward the exit.

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