Page 70 of The Reckoning
“Still.” I nudge his shoulder with mine. “It’s nice to know I have options.”
The door opens again, and the moment shatters like glass. Aries steps onto the front steps, his gaze moving between us as he catalogs our proximity, our posture, and our body language.
“Everything okay out here?” he asks, and I can hear the effort it takes to keep his voice neutral. Not to bite out.
“Fine,” I say, moving slightly away from Arson. “Just getting some air.”
“Pizza should be here in a minute,” Aries says, eyes fixed on his brother now. “If you’re hungry.”
“We’ll be in soon,” Arson replies, not moving from his spot beside me.
Aries hesitates, clearly reluctant to leave. “Sebastian thinks he might have a lead on the will. You might want to hear it.”
“Five minutes,” I say, a request for space that sounds more like a plea. “Just give me five minutes to clear my head.”
“Five minutes,” Aries agrees, but he makes no move to leave. Instead, he leans against the doorframe, a silent sentinel. Guarding me? Guarding Arson? Guarding the space between us? I don’t even know anymore.
“Actually,” Arson says, a dangerous edge entering his voice, “I think Lilian asked for some space.”
“She asked for five minutes,” Aries corrects. “She didn’t ask to be alone with you.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, the pressure in my chest building again. “Can you two not do this right now?”
Neither of them seems to hear me, too focused on their staring contest.
“You don’t decide who she spends time with, Brother,” Arson says, emphasizing the last word like it’s an insult.
“Neither do you,” Aries fires back. “And I’m not the one who dragged her into this mess in the first place.”
“No, you’re just the one who’s spent years pretending she doesn’t exist unless it’s convenient for you. The one who treated her like a dirty secret until I forced your hand.”
“You don’t know the first thing about our relationship,” Aries snarls, taking a step forward.
“I know enough,” Arson says, not backing down. “I know she deserves better than either of us.”
“On that, we finally agree.”
“Congratulations,” Arson sneers. “First honest thing you’ve said all day.”
“That’s rich, coming from you?—”
“STOP IT!” I explode, the words tearing from my throat before I can stop them. “Just stop! Both of you! I can’t—I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be the rope in your endless tug-of-war.”
They both turn to me, identical expressions of surprise on their faces, like they’d forgotten I was even there. And that, somehow, is the final straw.
“I’m not a prize to be won,” I continue, rage making my voice shake. “I’m not a weapon for you to use against each other. I’m a person. A whole, separate person with my own shit to deal with. And I can’t be your referee or your therapist or your fucking emotional support animal while also trying to figure out what the hell my mother is planning to do to me!”
The words pour out in a torrent, months—years—of bottled frustration finally finding release. I’m trembling now, fingers gripping the railing so hard they’ve gone numb.
“Lilian—” Aries reaches for me.
“Don’t.” I step back, away from both of them. “Just don’t. I need—I need space. Real space. Not five minutes on this stupid step with one or both of you hovering like I might shatter.”
Without waiting for a response, I push past them and down the short steps out to the lawn. The night air hits me again as I burst into a short jog toward the woods. Running was nevergood for me with my health issues, but I don’t slow down. Can’t slow down. My feet find the path that leads toward the woods at the edge of the Mill grounds.
I hear shouting behind me—they’ve realized I’m gone, are probably arguing about whose fault it is, who should come after me. The thought only makes me move faster, running now, desperate to put distance between myself and the toxic cloud of their combined presence.
The trail disappears into the trees, the campus lights fading behind me as the forest closes in. It's darker here, cooler. The sounds of student life are replaced by the rustle of leaves and the distant call of nightbirds.
