All Chapters of EMPTY GRAVE.. the brother we buried : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

"Get the fuck out of my wedding, Rainer."The words ripped out of Jose before the priest finished. Guests froze. Phones rose like vultures. Camille's hand went rigid in his, nails biting into his palm.Rainer stood at the back in a wrecked suit, eyes burning straight through him. Security rushed in. Rainer let them grab his arms but he didn't look away."You're marrying the woman who killed our brother," Rainer said. Loud enough for the front rows.Whispers exploded. A cousin dropped her bouquet. Jose's face went hot.He stormed down the aisle, shoes crushing petals. "You piece of shit. You always do this. Always have to drag everything into the mud the second I get something clean."Rainer smiled with his teeth. "Clean? You buried an empty box, Jose. She made sure of it."Security hauled him toward the doors. Rainer kept talking even as they dragged him out. "Ask her about the pills. Ask her why the grave dirt looked fresh last week."Jose stood there tasting metal. The priest cleare

Jose waited until Camille's breathing evened out before he picked up the phone. The screen glowed too bright in the dark suite. Another photo. This one hit harder.Elias at seventeen, gaunt but smiling, sitting on the kitchen counter in their old foster house. Rainer's arm slung around his shoulders. Jose stood in the background, laughing at something off-camera. The message underneath was simple.*You chose her over this. Tell me it was worth it.*His thumb hovered. He typed *Fuck you* then deleted it. Typed *Leave us alone* and deleted that too. In the end he just stared until the screen went black.Camille shifted behind him. "Come back to bed.""I'm fine," he lied."You're not." She didn't sound angry. She sounded tired in that way that always made him feel like the difficult one. She sat up, sheets pooling around her waist, and reached for him. Her fingers found the old scar on his ribs. She traced it slowly, like she owned it."Whatever he's sending you," she said quietly, "it's

The airport lights felt too harsh after days on the island. Jose kept his hand on Camille's lower back as they moved through arrivals. Her suitcase wheels clicked steadily beside his. She leaned into him while they waited for the car, and he let her, because it was easier than the alternative."Feels good to be back," she said. "Our bed. Our space."Jose made a sound of agreement. His phone sat heavy in his pocket. Midnight was five hours away. The storage unit twenty minutes from the new apartment. He had the excuse ready: late contractor meeting. Plausible enough. She would check, so it had to be.In the car Camille rested her head on his shoulder. Her hand found his thigh and stayed there the whole ride. Not squeezing. Just present. Just reminding him it was there.Their new apartment smelled like fresh paint and the flowers the realtor had left dying slowly in a vase by the door. Camille kicked off her shoes and stretched her arms above her head. "We get to make this ours now."Jo