My heart shattered at his words. The weight this boy was carrying was too much for anyone. “I need you to hear me, Will. None of this was your fault. Not a damn thing. You did everything you could to protect your sisters. You picked the wrong path. Everyone does. All you can do is learn from it and carry the lesson with you.”

“But choosing the wrong path doesn’t usually almost get your family killed.”

I held him tighter. “But they didn’t. They’re alive and thriving. You guys are together, and your life is so good.”

Will’s sobbing slowed. “Caelyn works too hard. She doesn’t think I see it, but until you came along, she was practically killing herself just so we could have anything we wanted.”

I pulled back a little so I could see Will’s face but kept a hold of his arms. “Is that why you give up everything you want?”

Wariness filled Will’s expression. “What do you mean?”

“You play a sport you hate in the hopes of getting a scholarship. But you say you might not even go to college because Caelyn needs help. You don’t take music lessons even though you love it. I’m guessing because they’re expensive. What else are you giving up on because you think it might be a burden to your sister?”

He bit down on his bottom lip. “I just want to make things easier for her.”

“You not being honest about who you are and what you want isn’t going to make things easier on Caelyn. It’s robbing her and the rest of the world of experiencing the real you. Name what you want. Chase it. We’ll figure out how to support you, and I promise I won’t let your sister hurt herself because of it.”

Will was silent for a moment. “I want to play music. And I want to go to college. I want to take architecture classes and see if I like it. I want to see more of the world than this island.”

I smiled and knew it stretched my face so wide it was probably scary. “Then let’s chase those dreams.”

42

Caelyn

I headed up the stairs and towards the sounds of destruction, leaving Ava and Mia drawing on the back deck with Kenna. My muscles protested each step. The last couple of days had seemed like a lifetime, and all I wanted was a long bath and to sleep for at least twelve hours. Instead, I needed to have a long talk with Will.

I paused in the doorway, watching as Griffin and Will attacked a wall that separated two rooms. They seemed to move in tandem, a silent and invisible rhythm tying the two of them together. As Griffin pulled back for another swing, he spotted me in the doorway. He set his hammer down and pulled off his goggles.