Page 124 of Torn

Kenzi looks at me with guilt, chewing her bottom lip after she closes my front door behind her father. “I’m sorry, Tor.”

“We’re going to have to tell him, Kenzi.”

“I know… after his mini tour, though, please? He’s worked so hard on all the new songs. It’s not a long tour, a month, maybe? When he gets back from that, we’ll sit down with him together and tell him. Or I’ll tell him alone, if that’s better.”

“No,” I insist. “We do it together.”

“Okay.” She fingers her necklace nervously. “I can’t even think about what he’s saying about my mom. Do you really think she’ll ever be better?”

Her green eyes look pleadingly at me, and I wish I could say yes. I want her to have both her parents back and have a normal, happy life. It’s all I’ve ever tried to give her—some normalcy and security.

“I honestly don’t know, Angel. Your mom’s accident, the trauma to her head, and the brain activity afterward was unusual. The body and the brain are a fuckin’ mystery; no matter how much doctors and scientists study it, there are always things that stump them. Unfortunately, there are times that no matter what, they can’t make someone better. Like your dad said, all anyone can do is try. But miracles do happen.”

“He thinks he can love her back to life, Tor. That’s what he believes.”

“Ya know what, Kenz? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he could.”

She launches herself into my arms and kisses me like I’ve never been kissed before. It nearly knocks me over, and it has nothing to do with her throwing herself at me and everything to do with the depth of the love I can feel pouring out of her every breath.

I want to push her down on the floor and kiss her lips until they bruise and bleed. I want to punish her for wanting me when she shouldn’t, and thank her for wanting and loving me with so much of herself when I need it.

Young love… first love is so innocent. So pure and trusting. So all-encompassing. I shouldn’t be on the receiving end of that love from her at my age, but in all honesty, she’s my first love, too.

CHAPTER 28

Tor—age twenty-four

Asher—age twenty-four

I’m sitting in the old creaky chair in my office at the shop, trying to make some sense out of all the financial spreadsheets the accountant threw at me.

I don’t understand numbers. Or profit and loss.

Neither did Pop, apparently.

I mean, I know what it is, but I don’t know how to fix it so I have more profit and less loss.

I haven’t taken a paycheck for myself in three months just so I could pay my brothers. I’m hungry and exhausted and worried.

I hear footsteps at the door and turn to see Asher standing there.

“It’s midnight, Tor,” he says.

“I know.”

He comes in and throws a small brown paper bag and a white envelope onto my desk.

Looking up from my mess of papers, I ask him what it is.

“Open them.”

Inside the paper bag is a steak and cheese sandwich, extra cheese, salt and pepper, with grilled peppers. It’s my favorite and my mouth is watering just from looking at it.

“You didn’t have to do this, Ash.”

“Oh yeah? Did you eat today?”

I bite into the sandwich and almost groan from how good it tastes. “No.”