Page 69 of Rattle the Cage

Cyrus cleared her throat. “No.”

“Right.” I nodded.

All of this was too much. She’d said everything I wanted to hear. And all I wanted to do was hit her again, to shove her around like I had the night we’d caught her following Tess.

So I did. I crossed over the cobblestone path and closed the distance between us. Shoving my hands into her chest, she stumbled back a few steps.

I did it again, this time harder.

But instead of moving away, Cyrus wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me close. “I’m sorry.”

“Fuck you, asshole.” I growled. “You still believe those fucking cards, don’t you?”

Letting me wriggle out of her grasp, Cyrus’s temple twitched. “I don’t know what I believe.”

“It’s all bullshit! Nash just says shit!” I laughed.

Sure, it was a fun game when we were teenagers, alone in this park and alone in this world. It made us feel held, like something out there had an intention for us.

But it wasn’t true, it wasn’t real.

What we built together was.

“Maybe.” Cyrus nodded. “But I needed it. Maybe I still do.”

In all the years we’d spent hidden away here, I’d not heard Cyrus need anything. Not new clothes, not food, not even fucking water.

We’d all grown up at Heirs. They promised us a holy afterlife, a world of kindness and faith.

“They hung us out to dry.” I looked down at the stones, drying in the bright sun.

Without missing a beat, Cyrus nodded. “Yeah, they did.”

I knew all of it was ridiculous. We’d been abandoned because we hadn’t fit their mold. But we’d made our own out here, in the shadows. We’d put the brand on our flesh.

“I don’t know what I believe anymore. But I know I believe in you. In Nash. In everything we’ve built.” Cyrus was nearly choking the words out.

“Me too.” I chewed on my lip piercing, the metallic taste tickling my tongue. “So you apologized to her?” I nodded toward the house.

Cyrus followed my gaze, swallowing hard. “No.”

“Dude…”

“I know.” Cyrus growled back.

Even now, I knew what she was thinking. She had no idea how to. It was easier with us, all she’d done was disappoint us and break the rules of our little game.

This was a baby step compared to what came next.

I was always going to forgive her. After all, she was family — the only ones I had.

But Tess…

She was an entirely different beast. For all we knew, she wouldn’t be able to let go of Cyrus’s betrayal. And who could blame her?

35

TESS