Page 160 of Halo

“You need to watch your tone, Crawford.”

I chuckle. “You show up at my house unannounced, accusing me of I don't even fucking know, and now you're threatening me with how I speak to you on my property?” I huff, stepping closer. “That's not how this works, asshole.”

He scoffs. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“Nope, but I definitely kiss your sister with it.”

The look on his face almost makes the last few days worth it.

“Where is she?” he grits.

“Not your business.”

“She is my business. Especially when she’s shacking up with some godless monster who—”

“Godless monster?” My temper snaps. “You mean like Declan?”

Matt goes still.

“You act like you're some protective older brother, storming in here like a knight in shining armor to defend her honor, and yet you allowed her to marry your fucking best friend—”

“He's a good man.” Matt scoffs. “Declan loved my sister—still does. He honored his vows when Leah got cancer. In sickness and in health actually meant something to him.” His expression hardens. “She’s the one who walked away—”

“To save herself,” I interrupt.

His eyebrows pinch together. “From what? God blessed their marriage. Declan loved her—”

“And assaulted her.”

The freezes, the color draining from his face. “W-what are you talking about?”

“You heard me.”

“No … no, Declan would never—”

“He raped your sister, Matt. Repeatedly. And when it finally got bad enough to where she needed medical care, she found the strength and the resources to leave his ass.”

He shakes his head, stumbling back a step. “No. She would’ve told me.”

“And then you, your fucking family, and those holier-than-thou church members spent years making her feel like she was the one who did something wrong by leaving him.”

The front door opens behind me. Matt and I jerk around to find Leah stepping outside, pale-faced, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Leah …” I reach for her, my body already leaning toward hers.

She recoils. Her devastated eyes lock onto mine. “What have you done?”

“Leah—”

“No.” Her breath breaks into sharp, uneven pulls. Pressing a hand to her abdomen, she looks between Matt and me. “How could you do that?” She spins around to run back inside.

I catch her wrist. “Darlin’, no, no—”

She rips her arm from me. “That wasn't for you to tell, Nick!” She cries. “That's my story! This is my life, my body!” She pushes me. “How dare you!”

I move in front of the door. “Maybe your family needs to know.”

“You don’t get to decide that!” She pushes past me—then stops. “Y’know? I trusted you with that. I told you because I trusted you.”