nightrunners

xxix.

"I wasn't a substantial factor in your brother's death."

"But you were still part of it, no matter how small you make it out to be."

"I was child."

"We all fucking were!" The girl shouted angrily, noting the crack in her tone, "But the difference was that I was a child without her brother."

"Don't do this to me Cassiopeia."

She shook her head in disbelief, looking everywhere but JJ's eyes, "You lied to me." She spoke through clenched teeth.

"I have always looked out for you."

"That was your sick plan Befriend me, make me think you never were involved."

JJ closed his mouth before shaking his head, "It's best you go."

Cassiopeia felt her blood rapidly course through her veins. She slammed her hands flat down on the counter.

"Admit it, taking care of me was to make you feel less guilty," She shouted loudly, tears pooling up in her eyes.

JJ stepped closer to her, his face in a look of disbelief, "Do you hear how you sound? Did Rafe put you up to this?"

"Rafe," A strange smile crept onto her face, "He told me the truth, something you couldn't do."

"He's using you as his pawn."

"I'd rather be used than played."

The boy stared at her blankly before turning around, "I can't do this right now."

She scoffed, grabbing the keys off the counter, "Six summers you lied straight to my face, made me believe you were someone that never actually existed."

She reached for the doorknob before JJ cut her short.

"It was an accident."

She spun around to face him, "I don't need to hear any more of your lies."

She opened the door, the cool night air pricking her tear-stained cheeks.

"Walk out that door and you'll never know."

She stood there, leaning against the door frame, unable to face the boy. She took a shaky breath, watching as the first few raindrops fell from JJ's gutter.

She could feel his presence slowly move behind her, but she was unable to break free of her stance.

"I was the only one at the dock that afternoon," JJ's voice was steady and determinative, "Besides your brother."

Cassiopeia felt her chest sting, thinking of that warm, bright afternoon, quite different from where she was at now.

"We were goofing around, I tossed one of his baseball caps in the water."

The rain started to create small, muddy puddles in the boy's driveway, Cassiopeia watched them carefully, thinking her tears could create many tiny puddles.

"He wasn't angry, he jumped off the dock to get it, we were laughing."

The sound of the rain was like footsteps stomping above Cassiopeia's head.

"When he jumped," The boy took a deep breath, "He slipped, his head, his head collided with something, I don't remember."

The girl squinted, picturing the rain puddles outside as pools of blood. At first it was her brother's, then she pictured Barry laying on the tile floor, the image of his blood flowing into a storm drain, carrying itself into the ocean.