Page 53 of Mafie Trials

He nods at me slowly, his expression lightening. “I feel like I’m always coming up short, just shy of what she needs.”

We are still in the back of the room. No one else can hear us as they all joke about the movie choice while popcorn is thrown at any wrong votes.

“You don’t come up short,” I say, taking his hand in mine. We aren’t typically affectionate with each other, but sometimes physical touch can help center us, so when he lets me hold his hand and squeeze it reassuringly, I keep going.

“I didn’t realize she was struggling in the gym and getting frustrated with it, but you did. Damien didn’t notice she was going back into her room in the middle of the night to cry, but you did. And you figured out what she needed to claim parts of herself back. You don’t come up short, we all just work differently. You don’t have to figure it all out for her because the three of us will work together to do that.”

I let go of his hand, not wanting to push him.

“I…” he whispers like he’s confessing a secret, “I want to know how to help her with her night terrors. I don’t want to sleep with you guys because I’m afraid I’ll do the wrong thing and hurt her.”

My heart crushes for my brother because I know just how hard not having the answer can hit him.

“I’ll help you. She’s sent us her list, so we will read through the aftercare details to see what she needs to comfort her. But I think you should start staying with us. That way if she does need anything, you can be there too.”

He nods in agreement. “I know she was doing better with the night terrors before that man broke in. How is she doing now?

“She’s been having them again. I don’t think she realized how much it rattled her. I think even now she’s trying not to face it. She tries to hide them from us if she can.”

His fists clench as he stares at her across the room. He resembles a bear when it comes to protecting her, so I can imagine that he’s picturing that guy being tortured and reliving the sight of her taking back control.

I think the only reason she isn’t locked in a cage is because we all saw exactly who she was that day, and I’ll never think of her as a naive or innocent girl again. I always knew she was a fighter, but I had no idea she knew torture methods that could rival Damien’s.

“I’ll be there,” Alexi says after a minute.

After the first movie, we’re all laughing like a giant family. Evie is laying between my legs on her side while Damien is to one side and Alexi on my other. She’s got her face buried into my chest as she laughs at Laney attempting to catch popcorn in her mouth while Havoc tosses it.

“I thought you were an expert marksman,” Laney taunts as Havoc misses her mouth by a mile. His face is twisted into this frown laugh combination. Evie’s chest shakes from the force of her laughter. I can’t stop myself from laughing along with the ridiculousness of it all when it’s mine and Evie’s turn. Alexi is smiling at our game while Damien nearly rolls off the couch in laughter at Laney’s taunts.

I smile as I look around, happy that everyone finally seems to have found a little slice of peace in this life, even if it’s just for a moment. I think back to when I’d watch movies with my mother, and she’d hold me close so that I wouldn’t get scared during the suspenseful parts. I was never scared, but I let her hold me, knowing she was doing her best to protect me and make me feel safe. A pang of longing hits my heart at her memory. It’s been so long since I’ve thought of her and guilt eats at me over it.

Evie seems to notice the shift in my mood as I let the grief consume me. But, like the lucky charm she is, she bats it off of its path to my heart with a kiss. Melting into her, I let her keep it at bay. I know eventually I’ll come to terms with what happened, but that day doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. So, until then, I’ll let the good in and hope it overpowers the grief.

“You okay, Ghost?” Evie breathes, just for us to hear.

I kiss her back. “I’m good. You ready for your next surprise?”

Her soft smile turns into a full grin. I tug her closer. “You mean this isn’t it? Because this all feels pretty perfect to me.”

Squeezing her one last time, I press a kiss to her forehead before moving her to Damien’s arms and going over to get the cup I stashed away before everyone got here. The laughter dies out as Evie watches me. When I return with a red cup in hand, her brows furrow.

“What’s in that?” she asks hesitantly.

“I was thinking,” I say to everyone, standing up by the large screen, “We need something to look forward to. With Christmas coming up, I thought it would be fun to draw names and do a gift exchange.”

Laney squeals and bounces in her seat. “Is there a theme?” I look right at my girl as I answer her friend.

“Sarcastic T-shirts.”

“Fuck yes!” Evie says, at the same time Alexi says, “What?” Damien rolls in laughter again.

Laney is smiling while Havoc is watching Evie as she dances in her seat along with her friend, cheering over the idea. A gentle smile tugs at his lips, and I find that I love to watch him watch her find joy. Seeing Evie’s face is always priceless, but seeing how she makes this found family feel brings a joy to my heart I wasn’t even aware existed.

“Is it a secret or do we get to tell each other?” Evie asks, looking at me with a childlike happiness I’ve never seen in her before.

“What do you want?”

She sits back and thinks about it, putting a finger to her chin in thought.

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