CHAPTER 3: 3. The Boy in the Blazer
Parker rose from his seat. He looked about sixteen, with a nervous habit of pulling at his cuffs. “Dad,” he said, “are those really my brothers?” Grant opened his mouth, then closed it. Celeste gripped Parker’s elbow. “This isn’t the place.” But Parker pulled away. “You told me you didn’t have any other kids.” His words were not loud, yet they reached the row behind us. Grant’s face changed. For the first time that afternoon, he seemed less concerned about his reputation than about the story he had told inside his own house. “It’s complicated,” he said. Miles gave a humorless little smile. “That’s what adults say when the simple answer makes them look bad.” I touched Miles’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this here.” “I know, Mom.” He looked at me gently. “That’s why I can.” Parker looked from one twin to the other. Their resemblance was undeniable now that they stood together. “I’m sorry,” he said, although he had done nothing wrong. Jonah shook his head. “You don’t owe us an apology.” That was the moment I began to understand what the boys wanted. Not revenge on an innocent teenager. They wanted the lies around them to stop.
