Awry

13

After making his way downstairs, Gabriel walked past the living room and shivered as frigid morning air blew in from the giant hole in the wall where the windowpane used to be.

Cold December wind swirled around the cabin and followed Gabriel into the kitchen, where he pretended not to notice Tristan making coffee.

Opening the fridge, Gabriel stared inside. He wasn’t proud of their fight the night before, but he wasn’t going to apologize for it either.

Tristan said nothing.

Gabriel wasn’t going to saying anything either. He wasn’t.

A few moments of tension passed before Gabriel slammed the fridge closed and looked at his brother. “What the hell, man?”

Okay. Maybe he was going to say something.

Tristan turned around to face him.

Gabriel shrugged angrily. “Trying to kill yourself? What’s the matter with you?”

Tristan held a blue coffee mug in his hands and narrowed his eyes. “I was trying to save Scarlet.”

“Right. That’s noble or whatever, but couldn’t you have had a conversation with me first?”

Tristan put his mug down and crossed his arms. “Would you have helped me?”

“Would I have helped you kill yourself?” Gabriel made a face. “Hell, no.”

Tristan shrugged. “That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

Gabriel opened the fridge again and eyed the shelves of food mindlessly. “You’re an asshole.”

Tristan scoffed. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same thing.” He leaned against the counter. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t die if you knew it would save Scarlet.”

Gabriel slammed the fridge again and looked at his brother. “Would I die to save Scarlet? Sure. Would I do it without telling you? Never.”

“Bullshit.”

“I would tell you.” Gabriel was adamant.

Tristan shook his head with a tense jaw. “No, you wouldn’t.”

“Why wouldn’t I—”

“Because I would never let you die.” Tristan uncrossed his arms and pointed at Gabriel with intense eyes. “I would tie your ass up and lock you in a cage before I’d let you leave this world without me.” He dropped his hand and lowered his voice. “And you would do the same for me. So don’t act like me telling you was even an option.”

They stared at each other in silence.

It didn’t matter how right Tristan was. Gabriel still felt betrayed by his brother’s attempted suicide. “You’re still an asshole.”

Tristan shrugged again.

“And what about Scarlet?” Gabriel turned his palms up.

“What about her?”

“She can feel you now?” Gabriel crossed his arms.

Tristan didn’t respond.

Narrowing his eyes, Gabriel said, “And she’s been able to feel you for the past few months. Which means something changed in her last life in the 80s.” His jaw tightened, as did his stomach. He didn’t want to ask. But he did. “What changed?”

Tristan didn’t answer.

“What happened, Tristan?” Gabriel felt his pulse rise. “Did you touch her? Did you get too close to her?”

Tristan kept his face expressionless, but his eyes flickered briefly.

Gabriel cursed. “You’re unbelievable.”

Tristan inhaled like he was bored. “It’s not what you think.”

“Really?” Gabriel snarled as the tension mounted again. “Because it sounds like my brother messed around with my girlfriend—”

“You guys weren’t even together—”

“It doesn’t matter!” Gabriel snapped. “You can’t touch her, Tristan! Your touch hurts her—”

“I know!” Tristan yelled. “I hurt her. I kill her. I’m the reason her life is miserable. I know.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “You don’t need to remind me.”

Gabriel’s chest was burning with fury and fear. What had happened between Scarlet and Tristan? Did he even want to know?

Tristan’s eyes stayed steady on Gabriel.

No, Gabriel decided. He didn’t want to know.

But his gut churned with ideas.

Gabriel lowered his voice. “Stay away from her.”

Tristan’s eyes hardened.

“I’m serious,” Gabriel said. “I don’t want you near her.”

Tristan lifted his chin and quietly warned, “Careful, Gabe. You’re starting to sound a little possessive.”

Gabriel met Tristan’s hard stare unapologetically. “I hope so.” He lowered his voice. “A long time ago, you asked me to take care of Scarlet. You asked me to protect her. Remember that?”

Tristan blinked.

Stepping forward, Gabriel said, “How am I supposed to protect her when you keep putting her in danger? You touched her in her last life, you got her shot last night….” He shook his head, dumbfounded. “It’s like you want her to die.”

Gabriel knew Tristan would never wish any harm on Scarlet, but he needed Tristan to know how serious he was about keeping her safe. “You’re not her boyfriend, Tristan. You’re not even her friend.” He took a step back. “So just stay away from her.” He added, “And for God’s sake, keep your hands off her.”

A heavy moment saturated the space between them, filled only by the tick of the clock in the living room.

“Good morning.” Nate’s cheery voice rang into the kitchen and the brothers shifted away from one another. Because their bedrooms were next door to one another, Gabriel had heard Nate up all night playing video games—which was typical Nate behavior—yet he barely looked tired. He did, however, look ridiculous.

Wearing two sweatshirts, a scarf, and mittens, Nate looked like he was ready to go sledding.

He clasped his hands together. “Okay, new rule. No more fighting in the living room amidst the expensive furniture and breakable windows. I’d rather not let in any additional cold drafts, on the slight chance our immortality doesn’t extend to hypothermia.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“Dude,” Nate said, tightening his scarf. “It’s freezing in here. We’re immortals, not snowmen. Oh, and also?” He looked at Tristan and shrugged. “No more sneaking away with deadly, immortal-killing weapons with the intention of, I dunno, dying.” Nate held up his mitten-clad hands. “Nobody approves.”

Tristan crossed his arms again.

“Okay.” Nate took a deep breath. “Now that we’re all caught up on the new no-no’s of the house, what do you say we find a tarp and some duct tape and MacGyver ourselves a new window in the living room? Just, you know, to keep out the wind…and the leaves…and any sharp-toothed woodland creatures prone to attacking people in their sleep.”

Tristan raised a brow.

“What?” Nate shrugged. “Death by dragon? Awesome. Death by rabid forest squirrel? Not cool, man. Not cool.”

“You’re immortal, Nate,” Gabriel said.

“So? That doesn’t mean I want rabies.” Nate shook his head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have medieval aliens to defeat.” He turned and left the kitchen, heading back to his video games upstairs.

Gabriel stared after Nate and muttered, “He’s so weird.”

Tristan replied, “Tell me about it.”

For a split second, there was no curse. There was no Scarlet, no broken window in the living room, no tension.

There were just two brothers, staring after their odd friend.

Simple.

But another gust of wind swept through the kitchen, bringing cold reality with it.

And reality was never simple.