uplift of her hand, and assumed it came from a shrug. “Sure, why not?”
He didn’t answer, assuming it to be a redundant question. He found the door handle and pushed it open. Muted light flooded the stairwell. To Alex’s surprise, she didn’t let go of his hand. He led the way out of the darkness into a long, narrow hallway to opposite direction from which they’d come.
“What is this?” she breathed.
“There’s . . . nothing . . . in these rooms,” he said, hoping she didn’t catch his hesitation over the lie. “It’s what’s at the other end of the hallway that I wanted to show you.”
“Lead the way,” she said.
He did just that, retaining his grip on her hand. The doors to all the rooms were closed, the light coming in from high, small rectangular windows near the ceiling. At the end, he reached up and took a key from above the doorframe. He had to release her hand to unlock the door as it was a bit sticky. He got it open, and stood back for her to step through.
She stepped out and gasped, turning back to him with a look of amazement on her face. Alex was relieved. He’d been afraid she would think it stupid.
* * * * *
Calli couldn’t believe the view. She could see the entire town from here. She’d never seen it from above like this. To her, Orchid had always been small, dingy, and something like hell on earth. But from here, it was full of color. The trees were changing in the fall weather, painting the town shades of red, yellow, green, and orange. The streets laid out in a nice, square pattern. Town hall, the bank, and a couple of the churches stood tall and proud above the tree line. What she had always thought of as a definite line between her side of town and the rich side of town was blurred from here.
“Alex! This is amazing.”
He stood behind where she leaned against the railing. The entire viewing area was small. Five or six people would crowd it and be shoulder to shoulder. The roof came out on both sides of the deck, the only open area opposite the door where she now stood. It was more of a cove than a deck.
“I can see why you come up here,” she said. She looked back at him. He slid down to the ground, stretching his legs out in front of him.
“Yeah, it’s a good place for me.”
Something in his tone caught her attention and she moved to sit next to him. She noticed he sat against the right wall so she could only sit on his left side.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked.
He looked down at his hands, tapping his thumbs softly together as if debating. Finally, so quietly she almost didn’t hear him, he said, “No one can see me here, but I can see everything.”
Calli bit her lip. “You mean you can hide here.”
His eyes flicked up to hers for a brief second. He nodded.
“That other thing, at sunset . . .” She hesitated. Would he tell her? She supposed he wouldn’t if she didn’t ask. “Why do you do that?”
He didn’t say anything. He reached over and took her hand, pulling it into his on his lap. He cocked one eyebrow as he looked sideways at her, as if asking if it was okay. Suddenly it occurred to her that he probably hadn’t ever held anyone’s hand, and her heart constricted. She smiled and bumped her shoulder against his before leaning her head on his shoulder, looking out over her town.
“Sunset is the worst time of day for me,” he said slowly. “It’s the time of day that the accident happened.”
Calli forced herself to stay in place when she really wanted to gasp, stare at him and demand more information. What was he talking about? Instead, she twisted her hand in his, tangling their fingers together, and placed her free hand over top, sandwiching his hand between hers.
“My mom, my sister . . .” He shuddered. “The fire was too intense. I couldn’t get to them. It should have been me. Not them.”
His voice was filled with sorrow and self-recrimination. Calli tried to reason his words. Then, as if someone had
He didn’t answer, assuming it to be a redundant question. He found the door handle and pushed it open. Muted light flooded the stairwell. To Alex’s surprise, she didn’t let go of his hand. He led the way out of the darkness into a long, narrow hallway to opposite direction from which they’d come.
“What is this?” she breathed.
“There’s . . . nothing . . . in these rooms,” he said, hoping she didn’t catch his hesitation over the lie. “It’s what’s at the other end of the hallway that I wanted to show you.”
“Lead the way,” she said.
He did just that, retaining his grip on her hand. The doors to all the rooms were closed, the light coming in from high, small rectangular windows near the ceiling. At the end, he reached up and took a key from above the doorframe. He had to release her hand to unlock the door as it was a bit sticky. He got it open, and stood back for her to step through.
She stepped out and gasped, turning back to him with a look of amazement on her face. Alex was relieved. He’d been afraid she would think it stupid.
* * * * *
Calli couldn’t believe the view. She could see the entire town from here. She’d never seen it from above like this. To her, Orchid had always been small, dingy, and something like hell on earth. But from here, it was full of color. The trees were changing in the fall weather, painting the town shades of red, yellow, green, and orange. The streets laid out in a nice, square pattern. Town hall, the bank, and a couple of the churches stood tall and proud above the tree line. What she had always thought of as a definite line between her side of town and the rich side of town was blurred from here.
“Alex! This is amazing.”
He stood behind where she leaned against the railing. The entire viewing area was small. Five or six people would crowd it and be shoulder to shoulder. The roof came out on both sides of the deck, the only open area opposite the door where she now stood. It was more of a cove than a deck.
“I can see why you come up here,” she said. She looked back at him. He slid down to the ground, stretching his legs out in front of him.
“Yeah, it’s a good place for me.”
Something in his tone caught her attention and she moved to sit next to him. She noticed he sat against the right wall so she could only sit on his left side.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked.
He looked down at his hands, tapping his thumbs softly together as if debating. Finally, so quietly she almost didn’t hear him, he said, “No one can see me here, but I can see everything.”
Calli bit her lip. “You mean you can hide here.”
His eyes flicked up to hers for a brief second. He nodded.
“That other thing, at sunset . . .” She hesitated. Would he tell her? She supposed he wouldn’t if she didn’t ask. “Why do you do that?”
He didn’t say anything. He reached over and took her hand, pulling it into his on his lap. He cocked one eyebrow as he looked sideways at her, as if asking if it was okay. Suddenly it occurred to her that he probably hadn’t ever held anyone’s hand, and her heart constricted. She smiled and bumped her shoulder against his before leaning her head on his shoulder, looking out over her town.
“Sunset is the worst time of day for me,” he said slowly. “It’s the time of day that the accident happened.”
Calli forced herself to stay in place when she really wanted to gasp, stare at him and demand more information. What was he talking about? Instead, she twisted her hand in his, tangling their fingers together, and placed her free hand over top, sandwiching his hand between hers.
“My mom, my sister . . .” He shuddered. “The fire was too intense. I couldn’t get to them. It should have been me. Not them.”
His voice was filled with sorrow and self-recrimination. Calli tried to reason his words. Then, as if someone had
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