Page 77 of Speak

Me: You’re fucking dead to me.

Two Days Prior

Father: Autopsy report came through. Hyoid broken. Cops are calling it homicide. No leads.

Me: Security Cameras?

Father: Nothing captured.

Father: Act appropriate at funeral. DO NOT bring any fucking twinks.

Father: We cannot manage another embarrassment or another scandal.

Father: We must appear united.

Me: Yes sir.

Present Day

“I don’t want them at the funeral!”

“The Anderson’s have been good friends to us during this entire ordeal, Riordan.” My aunt whispers.

“Ordeal?” Riordan screams.

“Lower your voice, son. It’s unbecoming.” My Uncle, Jaxon Prescott, condescends.

“My brother fuckingdied, now they’re thinking he was murdered, and you’re telling me Chase, my only brother, my bestfriendis going to be buried,rotalone,” his voice breaks. “And you want me to calm down because it’sunbecoming? He was your CHILD and he’s DEAD!” My uncle mutters something about the Syndicate, and Riordan storms out of the kitchen screaming, “UN-FUCKING-BELIEVEABLE!”

I follow Riordan up to his room at the family estate. An old, brownstone manor built on the outskirts of Salem before the Civil War, it’s been in our family for generations. I have a love-hate relationship with this home. Memories of when Axel used to climb up the terrace like Romeo and…

Riordan’s in his closet, tearing it apart, throwing a tantrum the size of Texas, sobbing. When he’s done flinging everything around, he crumples to the ground and hugs his knees to his chest.

I sit near him, not touching, not watching just looking straight ahead at the other wall. “I’m sorry.”

He sniffs. “Yeah, me too.”

“Who didn’t you want at the funeral?”

“Jonas.”

“Oh.” I reply.

“I’m pretty sure his girlfriend killed Chase.”

“Who’s his girlfriend?”

“Raven Monroe.”

My heart stops. “You got proof?”

Riordan shakes his head. “None at all. School security cameras show she was in her room. Never left until seven AM with her cello.”

I nod. “Yeah, she used to love playing out by the pond. I used to find her and Axel out there jamming out with his guitar. Quite the duo.”

What I don’t tell Ri, is that I used to sneak and watch them from the tree line like a creep, not wanting to disrupt them.Him. Axel.

Riordan puts his head down, resting his forehead on his knees. “I just don’t want Jonas here.”

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