Steve’s smile instantly froze. He looked at me, thrown off. “Why are you asking about that?”
“I just want to visit,” I said.
He studied me for a moment, a mix of confusion and concern in his eyes.
was sure Steve had
I didn’t exin further or mention that Jace had been involved in Desmond’s death. I was no idea if
he did, he would’ve cut Jace off a long time ago.
“Did something happen?” Steve asked, his voice tinged with worry.
I didn’t answer directly. “Just take me there.”
Seeing that I wasn’t going to exin more, Steve sighed and nodded. He agreed to take me to
Desmond’s grave, though I could tell he was still wary.
When we got to the cemetery, we saw Desmond’s parents standing by his grave. Even from a
distance, we could hear his mom’s heart–wrenching sobs, mixed with angry curses.
I couldn’t make out who she was cursing, but I could guess–Tanya.
It didn’t feel right to approach them, so Steve and I hung back, waiting until they left.
As they walked past us, Desmond’s dad had his arm wrapped around his frail wife. They looked
pale,pletely broken.
She was still crying softly, her sobs hitting me like a punch to the gut.
They didn’t even notice us–like their whole world had crumbled, and all that was left was their grief
over losing their son.
Steve watched them go and sighed. “Desmond left them to suffer so much.”
His words stung, and I couldn’t hold back. “Don’t me Desmond.”
How could anyone think Desmond wanted his parents to go through this? He hadn’t chosen to die–
he’d been crushed by the betrayal, by the weight of it all. That’s what led to the ident.
“Hm?” Steve looked at me, confused.
I didn’t exin. Instead, I gripped the flowers in my hand and walked up the path toward Desmond’s
grave.
The picture on his tombstone showed him smiling like he always had–bright, carefree, the kind of
smile that lit up everything around him.
But behind that smile had been a pain no one should have to carry. The kind of betrayal that
shatters a person. I could almost picture the moment when everything he thought he knew came
crashing down.
“Desmond, how you doing over there?” Steve called out “Got any pool tables where you’re at? Still
getting a few games in?”
1 stayed silent, unable to find the right words. Nothing I could say would make sense..
Steve rambled for a bit, ncing at me when he noticed I wasn’t speaking. To fill the silence, he
turned
back to the tombstone and said, “Before you left, you kept asking when you coulde to Keira
and Jace’s wedding. Well, no need to ask anymore. It’s not happening. They broke up.”
? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.
When he finished, the quiet settled in again.
I just stood there, staring at Desmond’s grave, feeling the weight of everything.
As I kept looking, something weird happened. The bright smile in Desmond’s photo seemed to
shift–first into sadness, then anger. A deep, burning anger that felt almost alive.
My heart clenched, and before I even realized what I was doing. I reached out toward the grave.
Steve grabbed my arm, voice filled with concern. “Keira, what’s wrong? You okay? Are you dizzy?”
“Huh?” I turned to him.
“Your face went pale,” he said. “You swayed, like you were about to pass out.”
Did I? I hadn’t even noticed.
Seeing I wasn’t feeling well, Steve decided it was time to go. As we left, he said, “You probably
shouldn’te to ces like this too often. Cemeteries have this heavy vibe, and it could really
mess with your head, especially if you’re already feeling off.”
I said nothing.
Whether something was messing with my head, I wasn’t sure. But I definitely felt off. On the way
home, I texted Ron, letting him know I’d be taking the rest of the day off.
I crashed hard, sleeping longer than usual, and by the time I woke up, the sky was already dark.
Still half-asleep, I heard a faint sound by the door. Groggy, I got out of bed and made my way over,
opening the door.
To my surprise, someone was standing there.