Page 82 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“You want me to?” Aalia mimes a snipping motion with her fingers.

Just like with the thought of removing my wedding ring, an uncontrollable shudder overtakes me. The one time Mr Sanchez caught me trimming my hair, he broke my wrist.

I was always careful after that, snipping off bits here and there, but nothing noticeable. It was the same with Arianna. We had to follow his rules, including for our appearances.

“Another time. I need to build myself up to it.”

“I understand,” she offers with a smile. “I’m here.”

“Thank you. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

After a quick hug, I call goodbye to Johan and step outside. Killian’s still loading up the truck with broken wood. We have a bunch more cabins to check out, and I need to start planning for Arianna’s birthday party next week.

“If you need a hand with the kids or someone to talk to… you know where to find me.”

Standing inside the open doorway, Aalia blows me a kiss. “Me too. Come back and see us soon. I’ll cut your hair and make tea. Okay?”

“Okay,” I agree. “See you around.”

With a final wave, I return to the truck. Killian is all done. He’s piled up the salvageable parts of the swing set on the lawn, assessing what remains with his blonde brows furrowed.

I climb into the passenger seat, waiting for him to join me. The whole truck shakes with the force of him climbing inside and slamming the door shut behind him.

“You meet Aalia? Is she alright?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. No other damage.”

“That’s good. We’ve been in contact with her for a while. Zach and I worked nights for almost a week to get the cabin done early. She was living in a shit hotel.”

“I didn’t realise she was here all alone. I would’ve come and said hello sooner.”

Killian shrugs. “Lola has a friend who works for the local council. Every now and then, a new family comes here to get away. Some stay, others move on to different places.”

“This place is like a rehab centre or something.”

“Except most people never leave,” he comments. “Briar Valley was half the size it is now when I was a kid.”

“You never wanted to leave?”

“No. Never.”

“Why?”

Driving away from Aalia’s cabin, he focuses on the cobbled road, his lips sealed. I hate that his barriers are slamming back down, pushing me out again. It’s like I get so far into understanding him before he shuts me out.

My question hangs in the air between us as we drive through trees stripped of their leaves by the storm. Even the distant mountains look extra snow swept, the peaks peppered with a fresh sprinkle of white powder.

“Lola’s always struck me as a private person.” I fish for a topic to break the silence. “Even in Highbridge, she wasn’t well known. I can’t imagine her having many friends.”

“She’s known Katie for a long time.”

My stomach twists. “Katie?”

“She came to stay here once upon a time. Hell, it must’ve been about twenty odd years ago. I was a kid myself at the time.”

He’s getting comfortable again, forgetting his bad mood as we drive onwards.

“Does Katie still live here?”

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