Last Female Sypher and Her Brother's Friends novel Chapter 12

I take a sip to hide my reaction.

“So,” I say. “Questions.”

Barric leans against the counter across from me.

“Go ahead.”

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I consider carefully.

Then ask the one that’s been circling my brain since I arrived.

“What is this place really? Is everyone here related or just part of the cool kids club?”

He doesn’t answer right away.

“This compound,” I continue, “is a community. Before the town existed, our ancestors were in a village

together. Most of the people here are family and friends living on loans passed down through generations.”

His words are meant to put me at ease. A neat little story wrapped in a pretty bow. Easy to believe.

If only I could.

My eyes narrow slightly. “Except for Liam. Is he the only one not part of this…village, who lives here?”

Barric studies me.

“There are a few. But people rarely leave their homes, so there isn’t much new blood around here,” he

finally says.

“Lucky Liam.”

“Very.” He takes a sip of his tea.

I sigh.

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Chapter 12

His eyes glint.

“My turn.”

:

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“Alright, shoot. What do you have for me?”

“Why do you give Liam a hard time?” The question lands heavier than I expected.

I stare into my tea. All the ways I could answer this question flash in my mind. Rage, fear, abandonment,

loneliness… all facets of a much bigger series of events.

I could give Barric my thorns, but what’s the point? I’m leaving tomorrow anyway.

So instead, I choose vulnerability. “…Because Liam was the only thing keeping our family together, and

when he left, he took everything with him. The calm, the laughter, the stability. Mom and I were two

negative charges waiting to implode.”

Barric’s silence isn’t filled with pity; it’s filled with understanding. A knowing that the words need space to

exist between us before whatever comes next.

“Do you hate him?” he presses.

I exhale slowly. “No, I don’t hate him. He’s my brother. That’s what makes him want me to be hurt so much.

I left because my mom wanted me gone, and now he does too.” I play with the handle of my mug. “I just

need to accept it and maybe leave here with a better understanding of what happened to my mom.

Something about it all, it just doesn’t feel right.”

I look up from the warm liquid, and his eyes flash. A Starfall of gold.

I blink.

I must be more tired than I thought.

“Theo shouldn’t have said that to you, that you and your brother don’t fit,” he says out of nowhere.

“How do you know about that?”

He shrugs a muscled shoulder and sips. “Word gets around.”

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16:19 Tue, Sep 1

Chapter 12

“Ah. Well, thank you for that, but you don’t need to apologize for anyone.”

“I widdle.” He says plainly.

སྶ

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For a moment ai don’t put together his words. When they finally do process, I look over at the pile of wood,

and a small smile draws my lips into a smile.

“Where are your finished pieces?” I venture.

“I keep them in my shed.”

We talked about his art. About the subjects he prefers and how he got started.

At some point, I realize something unsettling.

I’m… comfortable.

With him.

The kettle empties.

The tea goes cold.

And eventually Barric glances at the clock on the wall.

“It’s late.”

I nod.

He walks me back to the guest room.

At the door, he pauses.

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