Page 51 of Bleeding Hearts

Decision made, I walk into my closet and grab one of my moisture wicking t-shirts and a pair of basketball shorts. After my shoes are on, I slip on my smart watch, so when I set the house alarm, it’ll alert me if it goes off. Next, I grab a baseball cap and shove my earbuds in before turning on the alarm system and stepping outside.

The air isn’t exactly cool. Even in late September, Savannah humidity hangs around. The rain only makes that thicker, but I know from experience that it will keep me cooler than it would be if it weren’t raining.

Once my tunes are blaring in my ears, I take off. Ten minutes into my run, I already feel better. The steady beat of my feet against the pavement helps ease the tension. Twenty minutes in, I’m sweating and letting the music and rain set my pace. The demons from my nightmare have fallen further behind me, a distant memory now. After forty minutes and four loops, my muscles burn. A welcome distraction that tells me it’s time to go home and attempt sleep.

Rounding the corner, I slow into a comfortable jog. Once I’m in front of my house, I stop and bend to catch my breath. Tugging out my earbuds, I hear an unusual noise followed by a grunt coming from across the street.

Keeping in the shadows, I make my way over there.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I ask the unsuspecting teenager who just climbed out of the guest room window.

As I approach the bushes, I notice Felix’s wide-eyed expression, his guilty gaze on me. “Mr. Archer, I can explain.”

I wait, and when he just sits there and says nothing, I pull out my flashlight and shine it on him. “Well, go on now.”

He sits slouched in the mud, his legs sliding forward, his eyes now turning to the ground. “I’m not about to let my brother take the fall for something he didn’t do or know about. So, I was handling it.”

“Wait. Are you saying you had something to do with it?” I have difficulty believing that.

His head snaps up in an instant, and he vigorously shakes it. “Hell no. I wouldn’t even know where to get my hands on that shit. And neither would Finn. He’s on the varsity team as a freshman. You really think he’d jeopardize that?”

Extending my hand, I help him to his feet. “So, you were going to do what, exactly?”

“I might have hacked into the school surveillance system and downloaded the video feed from today.” Observing his mud-stained clothes, he quietly berates himself for his stupidity, anticipating his mother’s anger when she discovers the mess.

He’s not wrong. Bethany is likely to ground him until he graduates in three and a half years.

“Let’s get out of the rain, get you into some dry clothes, and you can tell me more.” I motion for him to follow me to my house. “Close the damn window first. How did you not set off the alarm? Or do I not want to know that, either?”

Glancing at the window, my attention is drawn to the fact that it’s not really open, just a tiny crack. “How did you get out of that?”

Reaching up, he pulls it down, nearly losing his footing in the mud. “I didn’t. I was trying to climb back in. When I left, it wasn’t raining.”

We walk across the street, and as I unlock the door, I order, “Shoes off. Roll up your jeans so you don’t fuddle up my floors and can make it into the laundry room. Once there, you need to strip out of those muddy clothes. There should be some clean clothes folded on the dryer.”

“Please tell me you mean your clothes.” Felix seems a bit concerned I might force him to wear the girls’ clothing.

“Yes mine. While I’d love to see you try to rock one of Mollie’s sparkly unicorn outfits, I’m pretty sure your ass wouldn’t fit. If I thought it would, I’d be tempted to send you home wearing it.” His blank stare makes me wonder if he realizes I’m joking. “Dude, go change before you get mud all over my house. Mine will swallow you but better than nothing, right? There’s a sink in there too. Wash up the best you can. Extra towels are on the shelf.”

He scurries off, and I climb the stairs to my bedroom. Before I go change out of my wet clothes, I look in on both girls. They’re sound asleep, just like I left them. Once I’m dried off and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, I head back downstairs to check on Felix.

He’s sitting at the table with his phone out, typing.

“Texting your brother?”

“What?” He startles. “No.”

He puts the phone down on the table and sits there, looking at me like he’s waiting for me to bring down the hammer. “Did you call my mom?”

“Not yet.” I open the fridge and grab two sports drinks. “I’m assuming she’s asleep.”

“Me too.” He takes the bottle I hand him and unscrews the cap. “Why haven’t you ratted me out yet?”

I sit my ass down in the chair across from him. “I’m not gonna rat you out.”

“You’re not?” He squints as he takes a sip of his drink.

“Nope. You are.” I tilt my drink back and guzzle half of it.

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