Knife's Edge

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Go ahead and call me a careless sister, or an abysmal decision-maker... because I choose to let Bailey go.

Well, technically, I just don't stop her when she decides to go. For some reason, it feels like there's a pretty important distinction between the two.

When Bailey starts to get all snippy about what a total C-word I'm being – and, yes, she really does use that word – I simply stay silent. She rants out her anger until she's practically blue in the face and, eventually, it's actually Alex who jumps to my defence. He joins us in the hallway to talk the metaphorical knife from her hands, his own personal crisis momentarily on hold for the sake of my shredded honour.

It's kind of sweet, actually.

Alex agrees with me. He says he knows it was wrong of him to come to our house, reckless as hell and all kinds of stupid. He apologises for taking that risk upon himself, says his head wasn't in the right place when he came knocking at two in the morning – and understandably so, I guess. Then, he agrees that he needs to leave before anyone else gets back.

Disgruntled by her friend's maturity, Bailey's temper soon simmers down. In a tense voice that tells me she's one disagreement away from another shouting spree, she announces that she's going with him. Then, she and Alex wait with bated breath, both fully expecting my refusal.

I don't say no; I don't say anything.

In fact, in all the time it takes them to don their shoes and pass me on their way to the stairs, there's only one thing that I actually do say.

"Just this one last time, guys."

But, after they leave, I start to think I should've said more. For starters, I should've told them to steer clear of his house, too.

Because who knows what other illegal weapons that family have stashed away there, hidden from view of those who don't think to look? The brothers could have their own artillery, for all I know. They could have a gun for every day of the week, a knife for every month of the year. Who knows?

I sure as shit don't, but I do know that I want Bailey nowhere near it.

They're dangerous, Jade, I remind myself – again – because somewhere along the way I had somehow forgotten. Yesterday had been a cold, hard reminder.

And yet, you still let her leave with him...

The thought sends a prickle of anxiety directly to my heart, twisting it uncomfortably as I stand in the hallway, second-guessing my decision.

The Coleman's are dangerous, they have always been dangerous – even before their parents went missing, back when it had been them running the show and the brothers were all mere boys. Stella went to school with their dad – I've heard the stories. The Coleman's have always been a rather large blot on the towns less than pristine reputation – like a blob of shit clinging to the side of an already stained toilet bowl.

But... then you get moments like this. Poor Alex, about ready to bawl his eyes out over a secret boyfriend he's too scared to be seen with, probably terrified of all the things that could go wrong when he does decide to come out. His brothers' opinions, other people's opinions – I mean, sure, it's 2024 but assholes still exist. And, with a reputation like Alex's, coming from a family like Alex's... those assholes could crawl out from their butt cracks, more menacing than most. It's no wonder he's so scared to be himself.

The Coleman's might be dangerous... but they're human, too.

I try my best to ignore the unwanted thought, and the conflicting feelings currently swirling up a storm behind my sternum. It's turning out to be a very difficult balance, impossible to think so black and white when you're close enough to see the silvery grey line that merges between.