Jace took the back way from Palmer Lake to Mount Herman Road. He didn’t know where he was going. He just kept driving southwest, toward the mountain.
It wasn’t long after the road turned to gravel that he saw another truck. He pulled up behind it and parked. This was the site of Tucker and Blythe’s accident. He could still see the scars it had left on the hillside.
As he climbed out, he saw Tucker farther up the hill. Jace made his way up the rocky terrain to where his brother sat on a big rock, his head in his hands.
“Tucker,” he said. “I’m here.”
Tucker looked up but didn’t speak. He didn’t need to; Jace could feel his anguish. He sat down next to him and waited.
It wasn’t long before Tucker spoke. “She asked me to trust her,” he said. “I want to, but I don’t know how to let myself.”
“Let go, Tuck. Quit holding on so tight to something that isn’t there anymore.”
“I don’t know if I ever loved Rosa, or if it’s turned into something so much bigger than it really was.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t remember?”
“I remember.”
“Then how can you say you don’t know?”
“I wasn’t sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t sure if it was your feelings or my own.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Tucker—”
“Fuck.”
After all these years, the truth about that night was finally working its way to the surface.
Tucker walked toward his truck. He wasn’t sure he could drive, but he knew he couldn’t stay here with Jace. The pieces were falling into place, and when they finished landing, he didn’t want Jace anywhere near him.
“Tucker, wait.”
He couldn’t wait.
“Don’t leave. Let’s talk about this.”
Talk about it? Was he kidding? Talk about it now? Seven years. That’s how long it had been, and Jace wanted to talk about it now? No, they wouldn’t be talking about it.
Tucker had the truck turned around and was about to head back down the mountain when Jace stepped in front of it.
He stopped, opened the driver’s door, walked to where his brother stood, and swung with everything he had in him. When his fist connected with Jace’s jaw, his brother fell backward. Tucker grabbed his shirt, steadied him, drew back, and hit him again. This time he was sure he’d broken Jace’s nose.
He went to grab him again but made the mistake of looking in his brother’s eyes. He couldn’t stand what he saw in them.
“Get the fuck out of my way, Jace, or I’ll run you over.”
He walked back to the truck, put it in gear, and pulled forward. Jace was standing near his own truck, trying to stop the blood flowing out of his nose. Tucker kept driving.
Blythe gasped when he walked into the room. “Tucker…is everything okay?”