“Marcus—”
“I want to be alone.” His voice cracks as he shuts his eyes. “Please…just leave me alone.”
It kills me. I see the physical reaction in Valencia’s eyes. I feel my own composure break. She has always been there for him too. Despite it all, we have always been family.
My heart breaks and not only for myself. “I don’t know where I went wrong with you. I supported you with everything. The grief. The terrors. The obsessions. But this, you cutting me out of your life, I will not accept that.”
“Then maybe we should end this right here.”
“We will always be here for you when you need us.”
“I don’t need either of you, Giulio.”
Wow.
I stand at the edge of the bed and Valencia follows suit, massaging my tense shoulder blades through my coat. Marcus avoids our gazes. So, this is really it. All I can do is stare at Marcus helplessly. I feel all my past burdens let go. The moment I step out of the hospital room, this will be us giving up on mending our parents’ mistakes.
This is our brotherhood burning.
This is our goodbye.
“Let’s go. He wants to be alone,” my wife whispers.
It takes a moment but when I finally nod I know this is it.
Goodbye, Marcus.
We walk wordlessly into Bryce’s hospital room. Perhaps he can bring some light to this situation. All hope fades at one glance at him. Bryce looks stone cold. The usual spark in his bright green eyes is doused. There’s no smirk or sassy comment upon arrival. His dark brown hair is swept to one side, his skin has a reddish hue and he’s shirtless with a white bandage on his lower abdomen; alongside it, dark tattoos spread out across his chest and down his fully inked arms.
“Oh, Bryce!” His body tenses at Valencia’s concern. “Are you okay?”
He continues to stare into the distance with a nod. His jaw remains tight, frozen in time. Bryce saved Lance and that means a lot to me, so when I extend my hand, I don’t expect the wave of resilience as we complete the solid shake.
A moment in history passes between us.
We accept each other.
“I appreciate what you did back there. You’re a hero. Thank you. I really mean it, Bryce.”
Another nod. He probably just needs some rest after such a torturous morning.
Valencia reads my mind with a smile. “We’re going to go and give you some space. Please let us know if there is anything we can do at all, finances included.”
Why isn’t he saying anything?
I wish I could erase my frown when we say our goodbyes, but I can’t.
“I’m sorry, Valencia.”
We turn back to Bryce, the words seeming foreign coming from his lips.
“For?”
Bryce’s gaze snaps between us as he takes in a sharp breath. “For being part of the reason ya cut your celebration short. I know how much it meant for you to be with family.”
“You’re the second person that has apologized. None of this is your fault. What happened this morning was a tragic incident and the police will find whoever did it. We just want you to recover and get back to the Bryce McCarson we know and love.”
“This ain’t my fault.” Dropping his gaze to his hands, Bryce repeats Lencia’s words as a mutter to himself. “Not my fault.”
I’ve never seen him this low and it’s concerning. He’s always so lively and resilient. Then it dawns on me that I’ve never heard Bryce speak about any friends or family here in Seattle apart from those in Hoxton. Could it be that…he’s lonely? Or more vulnerable than we thought? Maybe he really does value his friendship with Valencia and me…maybe we’re all he has. He and I aren’t really close…but we’re something so that must count…Right?
“Hey, are you sure everything is okay?” I ask.
“Positive.” His voice doesn’t convince me.
Valencia and I silently communicate to stay a little longer with him. Perhaps he just needs some time to open up and tell us what’s on his mind.
“Thanks,” Bryce says in desperation. “Thank you both for being my only hospital visit.”
My lips part to respond when the door bursts open. Freezing air floats into the room from the hallway. The last thing I expect are two Seattle police officers. A male officer checks us over and the other is a woman who marches towards Bryce, flashing her shiny badge awfully close to his face.
“Bryce McCarson, you’re under arrest for the alleged arson of Notti Designs Warehouse. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do will be used against you. Do you understand?”
My heart drops.
Bryce is…
What?
What is going on?
“Aye! What the hell do ya mean?” Bryce retaliates against the officer’s handcuffs. “I didn’t do it! I swear! I didn’t do anything!”
“Anything you do or say will be held against you. Do you understand?”
Bryce shakes his head. Only now does his entire body come alive. His eyes widen in shock as he turns to Valencia and me. “You’ve gotta believe me! It’s not me! I didn’t do it! I wouldn’t do something like that!”
The male officer steps between us, blocking us from a hysterical Bryce. “I’m going to need you both to step out, Mr. and Mrs. Giannotti.”
“He didn’t do this. I can see it in his eyes.”
Me defending Bryce?
Now, this is new but it feels right.
There’s absolutely no motive for Bryce to cause the fire. It was Lance who only just stated he was right there with him when all hell broke loose, and Valencia and Bryce have become so close during these last couple of weeks. I have to listen to my gut instinct.
Bryce could not have done this.
He did not do this.
“If it were that easy, you would be doing our job for us.”
The initial shock doesn’t subside during our drive home. It transforms into a glass jar of emotions that explodes every single time I relive the moment the police stepped inside Bryce’s room. The genuine shock in his eyes. His resistance.
