Page 5 of Under the Same Sky

The line goes quiet. So quiet I almost think she’s hung up. “Reese, you there?”

“Yeah, sorry, I just…I wasn’t expecting…” She’s rambling, but there’s a tremor in her voice.

“I’m sorry about our assistant, she should have told me you called.”

Reese lets out another breath. “Yeah, she should have, but…” she hesitates again, “she really should have.” She’s sniffling now, and the sound has me pacing the carpet like a mad man. “Reese, what’s going on?”

“Thorin,” she sniffles again, “It’s Ryan, and Melissa.”

At that, my heart stops, and my world tilts.

Nonononono.

“Uh,” Reese swallows, “you need to come home. I don’t where you—”

“Tell me what happened,” I demand, my voice low and hard. Reese lets out a whimper, and it grates my insides, my skin, but I give her a moment.

“They’re dead, Thorin.”

It’s my turn to go quiet, and I feel the blood draining from my face. I fall onto the sofa by the window, and drop my head into my hands. I’m going to be sick, and I’ve only had one fucking beer.

“Your mom is already here,” Reese continues, “and I made all the arrangements for a memorial service. I held off until I could reach you.”

“When?” It comes out as whisper.

“A week ago.”

“A week ago?” I explode. “And you’re only calling me now?”

“I’ve been trying all week, Thorin, but your assistant, or whoever she is, refused to tell you because she assumed I’m a fan.” Reese keeps her composure, but I’m about ready to wring Penelope’s neck.

“FUCK!” I yell, rising to my feet so fast I feel dizzy. “This can’t be happening.”

I turn around, and suddenly find that I’m not alone. Alex, along with the rest of the band, are all in my room, their expressions a mixture of confusion and concern.

“I want to tell you what happened, but please don’t make me do it over the phone.”

I swallow the bile clawing its way up my throat, and Reese adds, “The service is in two days, that’s the longest I could get them to stall it. I needed to talk to you, but this was the only number Ryan had.”

I take a deep breath, but it’s difficult. My chest aches, my lungs refuse to expand, and it feels as though the walls are closing in on me. And then it hits me.

“The baby? What about the baby?”

Another snivel from Reese. “He’s fine.”

“It’s a boy?” I choke out. “They have a son? I have a nephew?”

“Yeah, and they didn’t even get to meet him, Thorin.” Reese openly starts sobbing on the phone and then I feel my own tears running down my face. The last time I cried was at my dad’s funeral three years ago, and the time before that was when I found Reese—I shake my head. If I go down that road right now, there will be no coming back. I need to get it together, the way Ryan would expect me to.

Shit.

Even thinking about him hurts like a motherfucker. What was the last conversation we had? Did I tell him I love him?

“Okay,” I clench my knuckles and bite my fist to stop the onslaught of emotion threatening to break free. “I’ll see you in two days.”

Before Reese can respond, I end the call and throw the phone across the room until it’s shattered into pieces. I let out a scream, and start punching every fucking thing I can find, repeatedly hitting the wall until my right hand is completely busted and covered in blood. The wall has a hole in it, but I don’t care. The guys scramble, and Fletch, being the size of a linebacker and the only one as big as I am, wraps his arms around me until I’m calmer. I rear back, and we fall to the floor with a thud.

“Thorin.” He’s talking to me, but it’s hard to hear because my pulse is a loud thump-thump thump-thump in my ears.