You're Always in the Last Place You Look by T.N. Gates

Author:T.N. Gates [Gates, T.N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: T.O.S.O.L Books
Published: 2014-08-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Zane’s body clocked out almost the moment he clicked his seatbelt on. As I pulled from the church parking lot his head lolled, telling me he was fast asleep. I noticed his fingers twitched now and then, and once his leg jerked, but otherwise his body was quiet, his face placid.

My eyes grazed the red mark still marring his cheek where his aunt had hit him. I felt my jaw clench, and my hands tighten on the steering wheel. I could understand people’s aversion toward homosexuals, but what Zane’s aunt had said, what she had done—how could a family member, someone who was supposed to love you unconditionally, be so callous and cruel? Of course I had wondered the same thing just yesterday about my own mother. Only she would never wish me dead. That I knew in my heart, along with the irrevocable truth that she loved me, even if it seemed she had forgotten for a bit.

There had only been disgust in Mrs. Cormley’s face, almost vile in intensity. Thinking about it made my chest ache. For Zane to lose his family and then find out one of his only remaining relatives thought that about him—it was no wonder he wanted to leave.

Parking in the Cormley’s driveway, Zane unbuckled his seat belt as I turned the truck off. Opening the door he didn’t get out, instead he stared at the house as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to go inside.

“I don’t think they’re here,” I said.

He dropped his gaze to his twitching hands. “They’re not.” Climbing out he added quietly, “K-kiki’s the one tha-that should be here, n-not me.”

It took me several seconds to comprehend the meaning of what he said, and when I did, I trotted up behind him, and pulled him around as he was unlocking the door.

“Wait. Why would you say that?” There was no rhyme or reason why he lived and his sister didn’t. But thinking she should be here instead of him—I wouldn’t let him believe that.

His face twisted into a pained frown. “Be-because they wo-would have l-loved her.”

“Merrill loves you.” In good conscience, I couldn’t include his aunt in that statement.

“Sure...” He turned away, and went through the door. “Th-that’s why he’s n-never once t-touched m-me.”

I stood in the doorway, fists balled, head bowed, as he disappeared down the hall. I could hear the blood surging angrily through my body. How could they? How could they do this to their own nephew? Even the most stoic of individuals needed comfort in the eye of a tragedy like Zane had experienced. Yet he hadn’t received that most basic therapy, and in response he had lashed out. The cutting, drinking, smoking...and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was just another part of that.

I felt the hope of him ever staying slip away. We had been doomed from the start. He was my first everything and I was his rebound, a post to lean on until he found the ground beneath him again.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.