-Elijah-
“Get back safely, okay?” my uncle said as he walked with me to the car—Hunter’s car, which I had borrowed again without asking. Not that I thought he minded.
As I reached the vehicle, I paused and turned to him, offering a smile but not opening the door to get inside. I felt I should say something… anything to make up for the last five years. No, to make up for all the years—twelve in total. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any words.
“Don’t worry about me,” I said, playing with the keys in my hand.
I tried to give him a smile that conveyed I would be just fine, but I knew I wasn’t fooling him. My uncle saw right through me—he always had. While I hated that he could read me so well, I was also grateful. It meant he understood me better.
It meant that during those times I lashed
