Page 60 of The Other Side of Green

Jack

“Jack! What were you thinking?” Mom pulled me down the walkway between the Lennox house and the one that used to be ours.

Lyra was my sister?

I yanked out of Mom’s grasp and hurled on the sidewalk, unable to make it to the nearest scrub bush.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Mom shadowed into my space, but I pushed her back as my stomach continued to cramp.

“Fine.” I ground out. Obviously, the biggest lie I’d ever told.

“Clearly, things are not fine. What the hell is going on?” Mom perfected her superhero pose, hands on hips, which meant her concern would shortly be turning into demanding answers. It was her power move, and for a woman only just five foot three it worked well.

“Sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“Jack, that’s not an answer.”

I opened my mouth to blurt out the devastating truth I’d just learned, but then stopped. How could I even say that? She’d been with my father for all those dismal years. I’d never understood why she’d stayed, but how could I tell her the man who’d made our lives hell had fathered the angel next door?

I heaved again.

Lyra. Sister. Lyra. Sister.

Forcing myself straight, I wiped my mouth. “Sorry, Mom. I think the emotion got to me, and Luca’s a douche of note these days. One wrong word, you know?”

“Jack, come on, you’ve been back a handful of days and you’ve already fought him twice, this is ridiculous. You two have got to get over it.”

I stared at her blankly. Yep. I didn’t think I’d ever be getting over this.

“Hey!” We both turned at the call, finding Evan jogging in his suit toward us. He swerved the pile of vomit, grimacing. “Wow, you guys do funerals different down here.”

Mom shook her head, finally releasing her superhero pose. “I can assure you. It doesn’t always end with attempted murder in the kitchen.”

I dropped my chin, unable to meet her pointed stare.

“Well, sometimes it does to be honest.”

I lifted my gaze to find her lips quirking at the edge.

“Fantastic. I think I should move here.” Evan’s easy smile spread, for a moment lifting the deep darkness settling over me, then two words refocused in my head.

Lyra. Sister.

“Sorry, Evan. I didn’t mean to make a scene.’

“Hey, I’m all for scene making, especially when it comes to contending against overprotective brothers.”

My stomach dropped and my half smile tightened. Shit.

Lyra… I just couldn’t believe it.

But then… how had I always felt about her? A constant awareness of her, even when she was tiny and playing with her toys in the backyard. I’d always had one ear tuned in listening to the Lyra channel… maybe that’s what brother’s felt. I wouldn’t know. I didn’t have any siblings.

I clutched my stomach at the sharp twisting pain burning me down deep.

“Are you going to puke again?” Evan stepped back, while Mom reached forward, her face scored with concern.

“Jack? What’s going on? This isn’t some silly row.”