Page 128 of Desecrated Saints
At the edge of the boxing ring, Brooklyn stands alone with her arms resting on the bungee cords. She’s staring out at the moon, shining through the high ceiling windows. I stop at her side, content to watch her seemingly at peace after so much turmoil.
“You think we’ll have another party next year?”
Pulling her back against my chest, I nuzzle her short hair. “Every damn year, blackbird. We have lots to make up for. Remember your seventeenth? The carer screamed at you for puking on her clean carpet.”
She huffs a laugh. “I didn’t even know you then.”
“We lived together for weeks in the foster home before our paths crossed. I knew you long before you ever said a word to me in that nurse’s office.”
“I didn’t stand a chance, did I?”
“Not if I had anything to do with it. I watched her slap you on my first afternoon. You’d skipped out on chores to patch up one of the younger kids. She hit you hard, and you didn’t flinch once.”
Brooklyn shakes her head. “I hated that bitch so much.”
“That’s when I knew I had to talk to you. I’d never seen such courage, especially after watching Ma get her ass kicked for so long. You stood up for the younger kids when nobody ever asked you to.”
Turning in my arms, Brooklyn peers up at me with those silvery eyes. I could lose myself in the mesmerising constellation. Even after years of memorising every inch of her, each day still brings new discoveries. I don’t think I’ll ever stop falling in love with her.
For so long, all I had were my ruined memories and a lifetime of regret. Holding her in my arms again is something I never deserved. If nothing else, the world has granted me one miracle. That’s all I need.
“I should’ve followed you when I had the chance,” she whispers sadly. “I still remember the day you left. You begged me to say something, anything. All I could feel was my broken heart thumping.”
Agony spears me in the chest. I have to forcibly shut the lid on a box of awful memories. If I could go back in time and kill my younger self for being so fucking cowardly, I’d do it without hesitating.
“My life went wrong when you left it.”
“I’m the one that fucked things up,” I remind her. “I had no right to demand your love after what I did. Running felt simpler, easier. Looking at you was like looking in the mirror.”
Her hand strokes the rough stubble covering my jawline. I lean in to her gentle, loving touch, so unlike the cruel lash of her hatred that I accepted for so long.
“I’m glad I had the chance to go back and make a different decision.” Brooklyn’s smile is heartbreaking. “I think we had to break apart to fall together again. I needed to see a world without you in it.”
“How was it?”
She runs a thumb over my bottom lip. “It was fucking empty.”
Taking her hand, I drop it on my shoulder. My hands find her hips, drawing her closer to me. Ignoring the room and all of its inhabitants, we begin to sway to the gentle music. Our surroundings fall away. I’m a love-struck, obsessed teenager again, staring at the sun after so long in the dark.
I spot the door opening over her shoulder and bring our gentle dance to a close. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for since we left Blackwood. Cupping Brooklyn’s face before she can look, I ensure her eyes are only on me.
“I know I missed your birthday, but here’s your present. I love you, blackbird. It’s time to let go of the past, and I hope this helps.”
Seeming confused, she kisses my lips before turning to look. Seven has arrived, tugging his baseball cap off to release his unruly, chestnut hair. He’s dressed to blend in, wearing a hoodie and loose jeans. I specifically asked him to retrieve our guest. Even I’ll admit that the asshole is good at protecting people.
“Oh my God,” Brooklyn breathes.
Behind Seven, our guest of honour arrives. Teegan enters the room with obvious anxiety. She walks slowly, hesitantly, clocking all of her surroundings and the familiar faces with a tiny smile. Dressed in ripped jeans and a silky, black shirt, her bright-red hair pops against her rice-powdered skin.
She looks good, healthy. Alive.
“Tee?”
We all watch on in slow motion. Brooklyn’s steps are filled with trepidation, but she can’t help inching closer to her long-lost best friend. Teegan looks her up and down, leading me to panic for a split second. She seemed game on the phone.
“Brooke,” she responds, a smile blooming.
That’s all it takes. Friendship is a weird concept, even to the most adept of humans. It can break and bend so many times, but some bonds survive the test of time. The two girls meet in the middle of the training room, smacking into each other so hard, it must hurt.
