Page 100 of Second Alarm

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"I'd end you."

"I know."

"Get off my floor."

I get off the floor — slowly, knee protesting, lip bleeding down my chin onto my shirt. Hanna is at the counter with herface in both hands. The coffee in the cone has over-extracted. The kitchen smells like bitter coffee.

Cal looks at his sister.

"You're my — " his voice cracks " — you're my sister, and you're the best thing in my life, and you've been lying to me for ten years."

"Yes."

"You told me you were going to Portland to make a difference."

"Yes."

"You cried at the airport."

"Yes."

"I drove you." Something breaks open in his face. "I drove you to the airport, Hanna. I watched you get on that plane crying, and I thought I was watching my sister leave to do a big brave thing for herself. I flew out to see you five times. I sent you gift baskets. I told everyone I knew how proud I was of my little sister going to the big city — and you were running from my best friend."

"Yes."

"Who you were — who you had been — "

"Yes, Cal."

"Hanna."

"Yes."

"You're supposed to — "

"I know."

"I loved you so much, Hanna."

"I know."

"I didn't need a secret from you. I was going to love you if you had told me. I was going to love you, Hanna — did you think I wouldn't?"

Hanna isn't crying. Her face is the specific dry stillness of a woman about to say the truest sentence of her adult life.

"I thought you wouldn't love him, Cal."

Cal stops.

"What?"

"I knew you'd love me. I didn't think you'd love him. I thought you'd cut him off. And I thought that would kill him. And I couldn't take his brother from him. So, I left."

Cal looks at me.

I look at the floor.

"Brennan. Is that true?"

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