Page 92 of My Brother's Forbidden Friend

“My assumption is she forgot about it too.” Hank hands it back to Fisher. “Raising five kids… we were busy, and it probably slipped her mind. I guess the question is, do you want to open it?”

Fisher sighs and looks at it. “I don’t know. I guess it needs to be a joint sibling decision, right? I don’t want to open Pandora’s box, and them all hate me for whatever’s in here.”

Hank chuckles. “I think your siblings would be happy to have anything that was your mother’s. But you’re right. It’s a sibling decision.” He eyes Fisher. “Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone—help your sister and see what’s in that thing.”

Fisher glances at me then down at the safe. He nods and turns to me, and I know what his plan is. “I’m sorry, man, you can’t be part of this one. It’s a sibling thing, but if it works, she’s gonna be okay.”

I nod, trusting my best friend.

Hank smiles at his son. Everyone knows Fisher isn’t a sentimental guy, so what he’s about to do, opening this thing up in front of his siblings when no one knows what’s inside, is a big deal.

“Thank you.” I stand.

“Don’t thank me until it works.”

I leave Fisher’s and head back to our house, hoping Chevelle is ready to face this fear and tackle it once and for all.

* * *

When I get home, Chevelle is on the couch, Gunner snuggled in next to her. They’re watching television.

Obviously, Fisher hasn’t called yet.

“Want to come to the warehouse with me? You were supposed to be my partner this off-season.” I sit in the chair adjacent to her.

She shakes her head. “I’m about to find out who the father is.”

I pick up the remote and click off the TV.

“Cam!” she shouts.

I slide onto the coffee table in front of her. “Listen, Chevelle, I know you’re shaken. I’m shaken. It was scary, but we’re both still here. Still living. Except you’re not living, you’re hiding.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I do!” I shout. Realizing that won’t solve anything, I lower my voice. “I do understand. I was there. I know how scared I was when I saw Cliff push you under the water. You think I’m not scared shitless that I almost lost you? You think I won’t worry every time you’re out on the water without me? And I wish, oh how I wish I could promise you that nothing will ever happen to me. That you’ll never lose me. But then I’d break that promise at some point and I don’t break promises to you.”

Tears fall from her eyes. She quickly wipes them away.

I slide to the end of the table, reaching for her. She sits up and Gunner places his head on her lap, staring up at her. “I don’t break my word to you. Ever. But what happened is no reason to stop living. If you’re not busy living, you’re busy dying.”

Her phone rings on the table, but she doesn’t reach for it.

I grab it when I see Fisher’s name on the screen and hand it to her. “I think you should answer this.”

She looks at the phone and scrunches her eyes. Clearing her throat, she accepts the call, “Hey. Fish… uh-huh… no… why… Fine… okay.” She hangs up.

Clearly, it took some pushing on Fisher’s part.

“Are you in on this?” she asks, sounding put out.

“On what?”

“The fact that we’re all going to my mom’s grave? It’s like payback because I’ve done it to two people I lo… never mind.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to not smile because she almost said love. “No.”

She stands. “I’ll go, but I don’t understand why no one can just give me some time.” She continues to complain as she goes upstairs to change.

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