Page 154 of As the Rain Falls
“He broke my shoe!” I moan, stunned.
Somewhere around me, Beckett says, “Cass, I’m so—”
“Look what you did!” Nathaniel’s voice cuts through everything hysterically. “You hurt my sister!”
“Nathaniel, let it go!” my voice shakes as I grip Kayla’s arm. “You pulled me! You made me fall!”
“Me?” he scoffs, shoving Beckett. “You’re just like your piece-of-shit father, Evans. Walking around, acting all mighty, like you own the place. We don’t owe you anything!”
Nathaniel’s eyes flicker back to me. His meaning is clear.
You see?
This is what I can do to anyone who gets too close to you.
“Don’t look at her!” Beckett’s chest rises and falls rapidly, but his voice cracks with something raw. “I… I can’t wait to see what Principal Rivera thinks of this!” Kayla tugs me into a hug, crushing me to her chest as he adds, “What the fuck did I ever do to you?”
“You’ve lost your mind, Beckett,” Nathaniel sneers at my neighbor, but his eyes are still on me.
Watching me cry. Watching me hurt. My brother wanted me to have that jewelry box as a birthday present. He wanted me to wake up every single day and open it, grab my bracelets and put them on, not knowing who drew all the details that made it what it is.
“Lucia gave me those drawings,” he sounds disturbingly casual, and I can’t tell whether he’s lying or not. “I saved her dog from getting hit by a car once, and she gave them to me.”
Beckett shakes his head. “I don’t believe you.”
I whisper to Kayla, my voice barely there, “Make them stop.”
She shushes me, keeping me back. I can’t stop sobbing.
“Please, Kayla. Make them stop.”
Beckett moves again, grabbing Nathaniel’s jaw and shoving his hand back. “If I find out you broke into my home and went through my sister’s things, I will ruin you. I will call the cops. I’ll make your life a living hell, you drunk piece of shit. If you even say her name again—”
Nathaniel fights back, but Beckett is stronger and taller.
“Man, do you even hear yourself? You’re fucking crazy!”
“Stay away from me and mine, or I’ll fucking end you.” Beckett presses his other hand around my brother’s throat, showing him exactly what he can do. “I’ll kill you.”
Nathaniel spits blood at his face, still laughing at him, “And I’m still getting what I commissioned!”
Beckett lets him go, stepping back and shrinking with disgust. “Over my dead body!”
My brother stumbles, then he smirks. It’s one final, cruel taunt.
“Be normal, Beckett. Just be fucking normal for once and stop acting like a retard.”
Beckett turns towards Kayla, but his eyes immediately fall on me, and he flinches. I see guilt. Disappointment. I am on his side, but I can’t defend him like I want to.
“Don’t,” I ask, begging him not to hate me. “Beckett, please.”
I am not like my brother.
Nathaniel doesn’t care, but I do.
“This is all your fault.” Nathaniel blocks Beckett from our vision, and hands me the car keys. “You’re such a stupid fucking bitch, Cassandra.”
“Hey!” Kayla shouts, her confusion morphing into anger. “Don’t talk to her like that!”
