Unbroken

*

They stood before the cabin, watching it burn. Side by side, never once looking at one another. Never once making eye contact like they’d used to. Not long ago, Hunter could so easily look into Leo’s eyes and read his every thought. Likewise, Leo could have peered into Hunter’s and known exactly what was bothering him.

But the walls were up now.

Their eyes were filled with a void that was impenetrable.

There were many times Hunter could have mended the fissure between them. He could have apologized, buthe didn’t want to.

It was blatantly clear the chasm between them had grown large enough, it might never be filled the way it was before.

Their differences were starting to overshadow any likeness they once had. It was sort of a fucking tragedy. He’d once thought Leo was his best friend, his brother, his equal.

But they weren’t equals.

They weren’t brothers.

And the only thing that had been holding together their friendship as of late was Skye.

“She’ll be safe,” Leo said then, as if sensing his thoughts.

Hunter’s vision went dark with quiet rage. “As safe as she was when those fucks almost took her?” Leo stilled as Hunter turned his dark gaze at him, his smirk loaded with viciousness. “Are you gonnanegotiatewith the next threat that tries at her again, rich boy—”

Leo almost looked relieved as he lunged at Hunter. Perhaps they were looking for an excuse to hurt each other. For a second, as they ached to hurt, ached to leave a piece of their pain behind before the roaring flames of that cabin, they hated each other.

It was a startling feeling. It terrified Hunter, made him almost stop to plead for an end to this long simmering animosity.

Because what were they doing?

What the hell was wrong with them?

Why couldn’t they stop?

And why did they know they were going to alter things in an irreversible manner and had chosen to embrace it?

In that moment, the heart of that chasm between them thumped a final time.