Reunited | Dally's Little Sister

forty three

Ch 43

Sage P.O.V.

Tim read the letter and read the letter and read the letter. If the situation was different, I might have made a joke about him not being able to read. It was taking him that long. Dally and Soda had walked off a little while ago, but I assume they didn't go far. I don't know what kind of headspace Tim has been in, but I knew the two of them didn't exactly trust me to be on my own.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Tim said, "This isn't your fault."

When my heart calmed down, I was able to process what he said, and my mind started to spiral. If it wasn't my fault than whose was it? She felt like she was being the better friend, like she was saving me from her. But I didn't need to be saved. I thought back to the park and that look she had on her face when she first mentioned coming clean. That look of calm should've told me right there something was wrong. She claimed I was this amazing friend, but I couldn't look past my own thoughts to see she was about to jump off the deep end. What kind of friend does that make me?

"Use your words, Sage." Tim's voice brought me back and I felt the first tear fall.

"The signs were there. I should've known. I should've known she was about to do something stupid, but I was too selfish to open my damn eyes." The second and third tear fell as I confessed to him, and it wasn't long until the floodgates opened.

I felt something in me break and it was like the world around me seemed to crumble. I had been surrounded by so much death since I've been back, but losing my best friend seemed to be my breaking point. Dally's words about getting tough ran through my head, but I couldn't pull myself together enough to put on that act.

An arm wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me into a body. I blinked a few times to try and clear my vision from tears and realized it was Tim who was trying to comfort me. I thought that might have shocked me, him showing affection in public, but it was what happened next that did it.

I felt his body shake a little and them something wet hit my head. I glanced up at my dead best friend's brother and saw actual tears coming from his eyes. Tim Shepard, the most ruthless hood on our side of town, had broken. Seeing him like that had me frozen with an emotion I couldn't put into words, but it rocked me enough to halt my own pity party.

I pushed away from his side and knelt in front of him. "No amount of words can begin to explain how sorry I am, but I am going to honor Angela's words and be here for you. You tried to play the hardass, disinterested older brother, but I knew what was really going on. You loved her just like you love Curly, and you tried so damn hard to keep her out of trouble. I cannot even begin to imagine what went through your head when I came back, but I know Angela saw a change in you. You paid attention to her, you stood up for her, and you had so many sleepless nights worrying about her. There is nothing more you could have done to protect her from this world, and she knew that. She knew how lucky she was to have you in her corner even when she screwed up. We are going to get through this, slowly, but it will happen. And I will be here for you, always."

The tears were steadily running down my face, but Tim was my main concern. His eyes were focused on me the entire time and I knew in that moment he just wanted to mourn his sister and not have to worry about putting on this show for others.

His hands grabbed me and pulled me into his chest and the sobs came crashing out of him. The two of us sat there like that for who knows how long, but it was something we both needed.

Dally P.O.V.

I had pulled Soda to the side knowing that the two of them needed to work things out. Tim had told me Angela left a letter but only for Sage. Even though I told him to read it, he could never bring himself to. When Soda brought her over, I saw the folded-up piece of paper in her hand, and I knew she was going to have him read it.