Page 115 of Omega's Secret Guardian
But now that both of them were accounted for...
“Where’s Tripp?” he asked, his heart sinking. “I saw the ramps...”
Mom and Dad exchanged a look. “He’s in his room,” Mom said slowly. “He was very upset when you left.”
Storm bit the inside of his cheek. “Yeah. He hates me, doesn’t he?”
Dad came forward to wrap Storm and Mom in his arms. “You should talk to him.”
Storm relaxed against his dad. Both his parents smelled familiar, and he hadn’t realized he had missed their comforting scents until now. “I don’t know if I should barge into his room.”
Mom sighed. “I’ll get him for you.” She turned her head. “Tripp!” she yelled. “Come out here for a second!”
And now Storm’s hands were sweating again.
Before he’d joined the gang, he had been protective of Tripp. Overwhelmingly so, from the way Tripp had gotten snippy around him. Then Storm had gone and left his younger brother behind, for years, with no explanation. It was only logical that Tripp would be unforgivably mad at him.
Was this bond something Storm could repair?
He waited in his parents’ arms, his heart thudding. Mom and Dad watched the hallway expectantly.
Linus’ shuffling caught their attention. Before they could do much more than glance at him, Tripp entered the living room.
In a wheelchair.
Storm’s heart sank. “Tripp!”
Tripp froze. He had been sixteen when Storm had gone to jail, and he had been a scrawny kid back then. Now... He was still scrawny, but he’d grown up a little, his hair longer, his face more angular.
At first, Tripp looked confused. Then his eyes widened with recognition, anger, and hurt.
Fuck, Storm felt like the worst brother on Earth.
Tripp clenched his fists around his wheelchair’s push rings, his chest heaving as he sucked in a sharp breath.
Then he turned away, the wheelchair moving smoothly under him.
Storm’s heart broke. “Just hear me out,” he blurted. “I owe you all an explanation. I’ll tell you why I was gone for so long, and where I’ve been. So please just... stick around. Just until I’ve finished. You don’t—You don’t have to accept me when you’ve heard all of it.”
Tripp paused, his back still turned.
“We’ll accept you no matter what,” Mom said.
Storm shook his head. “Even if I’ve killed someone?”
All three of them stiffened.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought,” Storm said, looking at the floor. “I’m not the same person you remember. At least, I’m not the person from... before. I’m armed right now. I’ve killed more than one person. Just so you know.”
Mom released him, taking a step back. Dad didn’t, but he was watching Storm warily.
Storm swallowed. It hurt. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to come back.
Linus stepped up to him, though. He linked their fingers together and leaned into Storm’s side. “You can do this.”
I love him,Storm thought helplessly.I love him so fucking much.
He breathed in and straightened his shoulders. “Alright. So. Five years ago, I was in that gang.”
