Chapter 6

When I burst into Zoey's place, she and Andrew were having dinner. Without a word, I raised the knife and swung it straight at Andrew.

Andrew flinched and scrambled out of the way.

Zoey caught my wrist in a vise grip, her face darker with rage than I'd ever seen it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

I pulled out my phone and shoved the photo at her, then gritted out, "Your precious brother ran over my cat. With that kind of impact, he obviously did it on purpose! I didn't want to keep dragging up the past, but this? I can't take it!"

Andrew shifted uncomfortably. "I… I didn't mean to. I paid compensation. I'm sorry, Chase—"

"You think an apology fixes this? Andrew Lane, haven't the last three years been miserable enough for me? You couldn't even spare a cat? Are you even human?"

I screamed until my voice went raw, hating him so much I wanted to hack him to death right then and there.

Zoey's brows knit together. "It was just a cat. Do you really have to go this far? Andrew paid and apologized. That's more than you've ever done, isn't it? You still haven't given us an explanation for what happened three years ago."

"I told you I never stole his spot! What part of that don't you understand?" I shouted.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. Three years of bottled-up emotions came flooding back like a tidal wave.

"I'm your real brother! Why won't you believe me? Would you finally be happy if I dropped dead right now?"

Watching me come apart, Zoey's eyes filled with disappointment.

"You're impossible to reason with!"

Andrew stepped closer. "Chase, I was wrong. I really didn't mean to. What do I have to do for you to forgive me—"

A sharp crack cut him off.

Before he could finish, my fist smashed into his face.

He froze, staring at me in disbelief.

Zoey's eyes turned ice-cold the moment she saw me hit him.

"Looks like you haven't grown up at all these past three years."

She lashed out, striking back for Andrew. My head snapped to the side, and my ears rang.

She looked down at her own hand and said in frustration, "You forced me to do that!"

The slap landed on my face, but it felt like she'd struck me straight in the heart.

Zoey had snapped the already fragile bond between us.

Before, I could still hate her. Now, there was nothing left.

I fought down the blood surging up my throat and said mockingly, "You can throw your party now."

With that, I wiped my face roughly and walked away.

"What party? Explain yourself!"

I'd only taken a couple of steps when she reached for me again. I hurled my phone at her with everything I had.

"Get lost!"

She stood frozen, staring after me at a loss. This time, she didn't come charging after me.

After leaving Zoey's place, I went straight to a pedestrian overpass and climbed step by step to the highest point. Looking down at the traffic rushing beneath me, my gaze steadied.

I wanted to be free.

…

That night was never going to be peaceful.

Not long after I left, the phone I'd left behind at Zoey's place started ringing.

She looked at it lying on the floor, its cracked screen visible. Without thinking, she picked it up and answered.

The cemetery plot salesman's helpless voice came through the line.

"Chase, you've pushed this off another day. I didn't press you before because I knew you had lung cancer. But I really can't hold the plot for you any longer. Someone else already paid in full."