Page 86 of Firestorm
“Yes, you fucking idiot loser, you’rehurtingher. Don’t tell me you’re not feeling the chest pain, too?”
As if re-angered by the mere mention, my chest ignited with the same burning sensation I’d slowly been accepting as a new normal. Turns out it was just because Wyatt had rejected me.
Wait…hadWyatt actually rejected me?
Bile creeped up the back of my throat and I instinctively dropped my head between my knees. I gasped in a ragged breath while I fought the urge to throw up.
I fuckinghatedthrowing up.
“It’s okay,” Mia murmured, rubbing my back soothingly. “Everything will be fine, Skyes.”
New tears sprang to my eyes at my nickname. Mia’s words were so similar to Zephyr’s the last time I’d spoken to him. We hadn’t even texted each other, which wasn’t unlike us. Why text when you can speak directly through your minds? But watching Willow fight with her older brother had me longing for mine. I missed the days when he was the biggest pain in my ass.
“Oh,Skye!” Willow sobbed. “Are you happy you dickhead asshole? You hurt my new friend because you’re such a stupid coward! You’re no different than dad!”
I winced. What the fuck did that mean?
“Will,” Mia admonished Willow softly, confirming that what Willow said was particularly cutting.
Willow hung up her phone and chucked it at the bed before she climbed up on my other side. Willow sniffled above me, and Mia’s rhythmic rubbing along my back helped my nausea to wane.
“I’m so sorry,” I gasped. “Fuck, this is horrible.”
“This issohorrible! I’m so sorry my brother is such a fucking loser!” Willow cried, sobbing into my hair.
“This is definitely not how we wanted to find out we’re Chain-in-laws, Skye.” Mia said gently.
“Ohmygod!” Willow almost shrieked again. I winced and she looked at me with a mixture of horror and some fear. “I’m sorry. Skye, we can still be friends, right?!”
I choked out a laugh. “Yes, Will. We’re fine. You’re not responsible for your brother’s actions. Or lack thereof.”
“Willow,” Mia said gently after a few moments of silence mixed with our sniffling. “You need to apologize to Wyatt for that last one.”
“Oh, God, I know.” Willow’s lip trembled as she wiped tears off her face, smearing even more of her makeup. “That was so evil of me. Why’d I say that to him? He’snothinglike dad!”
I sniffled, taking a tissue from the box Mia held out to me.
My voice was wobbly as I spoke. “W-what do you mean? What’s wrong with your dad?”
“Based onmychildhood? Nothing. But for Wyatt…” Willow trailed off before she blew out a breath. “My dad is wonderful. He’s kind, and caring. My mom is his Key. He’s completely devoted to her. They both have earth affinities, but mom also has water, just like me.”
I nodded, biting my lip at how she chose to word things. My heart was sinking for Wyatt already.
“But if you asked Wyatt about his dad…he’d have quite the different story to tell.” Mia said. “His childhood was nothing like Willow’s.”
“What happened to him?” I whispered. My stomach began rolling again.
“Our dad was with Wyatt’s mom, Noemí, for almost ten years before they had Wyatt. They were married and totally in love. And then one day, my dad met my mom, Lauren.”
My stomach dropped.
Willow took a deep breath. “Our father, Richard, left Noemí and four-year-old Wyatt for my mom. He filed for divorce within a month of meeting Lauren and then she was pregnant with me six months after that. Noemí had nowhere to go. She didn’t have family here in the States. She petitioned for alimony and child support, but because she wasn’t his Key, he ended up getting away without paying a cent. The only reason Wyatt didn’t starve was because my mom sent Noemí money. Noemí didn’t want to accept it at first, but in the end, she had to.”
I dropped my face to my hands while tears overflowed again.
I loved Willow, but I really wanted to squeeze Richard’s fucking heart until it stopped beating. What an absolute piece of shit.
“But they’re friends,” Mia chimed in. “Lauren and Noemí.Bestfriends. Lauren has always supported Wyatt, isn’t that right?”
