Page 93 of It Destroys Me

“You don’t know it’s him, and I can’t check.” A thin sheen moved over his eyes, but when he blinked, it was gone.

“It’s him,” Axel said, coming back into the conversation.

Theo shifted his gaze to Axel.

Axel came forward, unzipped the top, and then pulled out the black watch. He held it out to Theo.

Theo stared at it but didn’t take it.

I didn’t know why the watch was so significant, not when it looked like any other watch I’d ever seen.

Theo stared before he finally took it. He held it for a while before he turned it over.

Engraved in the back were the words:

Happy Birthday, Asshole.

Theo sucked in a harsh breath, and his eyes watered more than they had before.

“I’m sorry, man,” Axel said. “But at least…at least you have him back.”

Theo just looked at the watch, trying his hardest not to cry. Then he unclasped the watch he always wore, stuffed it into his pocket, and put on his brother’s watch. He stared at the face for a long time, until his breaths returned to normal, and then he looked at me again.

But now, he wasn’t angry. “Thank you.”

“I hope this brings you peace.”

His eyes remained on me, looking at me harder than he ever had before. “It does.”

Chapter 20

Theo

I stared at the tombstone I’d looked at several times before, but now, it felt different.

It felt different because he was there, buried under the surface, in his final resting place until the sun collapsed on itself and brought this entire world into darkness. The watch on my wrist was heavier than the one I used to wear, but the weight was a reminder he was here. Now, he was buried beside my parents. He probably would have wanted his ashes to be scattered in Positano because no one would miss him when he was gone, but I missed him, and that was why I’d put him here.

Astrid was so quiet beside me, I forgot she was there.

My hand reached for hers.

She squeezed it back.

Bolton was buried in this same cemetery. I didn’t want him and my brother to be in the same place, but I didn’t want it to be inconvenient for either of us when we wanted to visit our families. I wasn’t sure if Astrid would want to visit at all. When she’d come to his grave site, she didn’t cry, and our lives at home weren’t restrained by heartbreak.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she whispered.

“I know you are, sweetheart.” My arm moved around her shoulders, and I brushed a kiss to her hairline.

“Wish I could have met him.”

“Me too.” He would have constantly hit on her to piss me off, but I would have preferred that over his absence any day.

“Is Shayla here too?”

“Yes.”

“We can visit her too…if you want.”