Page 156 of Chasing Shelter

I stood, crossed to the doors, and slipped through them. Even though there was a chill to the air, the sun was blazing, and it was as if the rays cast Linc in the perfect haloed glow as he stood at the edge of the deck, staring out into the yard.

Moving to him, I leaned gently against his arm. “You can’t save me from everything, ConCon.”

“I haven’t saved you from anything.”

There was such defeat in his voice that it had my gaze jerking up to his face. “Linc…you saved me fromeverything. You were my respite amid all Philip’s manipulations. Ilivedfor those Wednesday-night calls.”

His hazel gaze swept down to mine. “You shouldn’t have had to. I should’ve done more. Talked to a social worker. Stayed.”

I was already shaking my head. “Why? So he could torture us both more? Social workers couldn’t have done a damn thing because the pain he inflicted wasn’t something you could put down on paper.And if youhadstayed…he would’ve squashed your spirit and killed your soul. He was always worse to you than he was to me.”

“You were alone,” Linc croaked.

“No. I wasn’t.” I wrapped my arms around his and held tight. “Because you were always with me. Maybe not in the next room, but I carried you with me. My fearless big brother, fighting for the life he deserved.”

Linc’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “I was terrified.”

“But you did it anyway. You showed me it was possible.” I gripped his arm tighter. “I may not have been ready to fight until recently, but you made me realize I could and gave me the strength to decide it was time.”

“El Bell,” he rasped.

“Love you.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Love you more than you’ll ever know.”

My mouth curved as I looked up at my big brother. “We didn’t become like them.”

Linc’s whole expression softened. “No. We didn’t.”

“We got free, ConCon.”

“We got free,” he echoed.

And that was the best gift of all.

Keely and Lucalet out shouts of delight as the man walking on stilts bent to give them balloon animals.

Linc let out an exaggerated shiver on my left. “Thisis your idea of living? You know I hate clowns.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of me as I held tight to Trace’s arm with one hand and a massive cone of pink cotton candy with the other. It had a sweet memory of when we were much younger lighting in my mind. Linc, Mom, and me at Coney Island, playing hooky from school and staying out far too late.

I grinned at my brother. “Remember when that one clown startled you at Coney Island? I thought you were going to pee your pants.”

Linc glared at me. “He snuck up behind me with that creepy voice and asked if I wanted a balloon. My stranger-danger reflex was instigated.”

Arden let out a laugh as she hooked her arm with his. “Don’t worry, Cowboy. I’ll protect you.”

Linc pulled her closer and dropped a kiss to her lips. “I’m counting on it.”

A familiar face headed toward us, Bloom & Berry ballcap in place. Duncan shot us all a grin and issued a wave. “Nice to see you guys.” His gaze moved to me, lingering on the cut on my head. “You doing okay? I heard about what happened the other day…”

“I’m doing a lot better. And the mums on my front porch are doing amazing,” I said, awkwardly trying to steer the conversation away from darker things.

Duncan picked up on my hint and grinned. “Glad to hear it. If you want me to bring anything else by, I’m happy to.”

“I can pick more up if Blaze needs them,” Trace cut in, none too subtly.

Duncan’s lips twitched, clearly having picked up on it, too. “Noted. Enjoy the carnival.”

---