"Can't believe summer's already almost over."

The sadness in Buck's voice only added to the heavy cloud of depression and hostility that encased us. Damien and Nix were pretending they were cool, but Nix, though he still kissed my cheek and acted as if everything was fine, would turn and walk out any time Damien laced his fingers through mine. Aden, too, had his own issues with Damien. They hadn't spoken more than video game talk over the last couple weeks and I could see the effect it was having on both of them. Aden was just sad and lost, he looked as if he didn't know what to do without having his best friend at his side. Damien was pretty good at internalizing his feelings, but I could tell that his brother and Aden's cold shoulders were taking a toll on him as well.

Phil and Buck were in the midst of setting up for the end of summer party, but the same excitement and giddiness all the guys had held two and a half months ago was long gone. Phil was heading back to MIT, which meant he would be one of the few I wouldn't see until graduation next year. He'd promised to visit a few times given I decided to stay, but I knew that he couldn't remain reliable on them. Buck, too, had decided it was time to man up and was heading down to San Diego to do some internship with a marine biologist.

"It's been one hell of a summer." Hudson responded to our older brother with a weak smile. "Definitely one for the books."

Sam, wbo'd been so silent I'd forgotten he was in the room, laughed quietly as he stared across the room at Hudson beside me. "At least you'll get all the chicks this year. How badass does it sound that you played Knight in Shining Armor to your sister during a shark attack. They'll be swooning in seconds."

Damien, sitting on the couch beside him, smiled at the comment, but Hudson only shifted a little on the seat next to me. His eyes flickered to the window, or likely out it at the beach, at who his heart belonged to. Cady.

"I bet Ari's gonna be having to bat guys away left and right." Buck joked, narrowing his eyes at me. "Damien better watch his back."

I could feel warmth start in my cheeks as I questioned how the hell my brother's knew what had happened the other night. Damien dropped his head with a smile, looking ready to flick the side of Buck's head.

"I'm not worried." Damien said, "If she didn't fall victim to Phoenix, none of those guys stand a chance."

There was a little bit of a bitterness in his voice, but I rose to my feet and squeezed Hudson's shoulder before I could see the conversation go any further. I started down the hall, having to drag my bad foot behind me until I reached my father's room. I knocked a couple times before opening the door. My eyes immediately fell on the balled up tissues in the trash bin beside his desk.

They were splattered with blood.

"I'm okay." A cough followed my father's reassurance. "There's just something in my throat."

The moment my eyes fell on him, something close to a whimper escaped me. There was dried blood on the outer edges of his lips.

"You have to tell them Dad." I whispered. Even Phil, who'd been the one to tell me about this, probably had no idea about this. "You're getting worse."

"I'm not getting worse." Dad waved me off dismissively. "I'm fine, Arianna. I have another good four or five years in me, that should be long enough to make amends."

I nodded toward the trash can. "Four or five years? Dad, you're coughing up blood."

"I'll be okay, Arianna. And I'll tell them. Just give them these last couple days of summer, I promise I'll break it to them before we all part ways."

*

Hudson chuckled to himself as he watched Nix and Aden roughhouse on the pool deck below us. They were in the center of a crowd of people, but of course our eyes had found them right away.

"They're idiots." I commented, shaking my head.

Hudson sighed, looking toward me with a smirk. "Yeah, but they're our idiots."

"That they are, brother."

I helped Hudson back over to the chair, dropping into the one opposite of him.

"You're not going to go join the party?" Hudson questioned, eyes roaming my face. "Aren't you worried all those girls are gonna throw themselves at your precious boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks deceived me and still grew warm. "I'm not much of a party person. Do you not remember what happened at the last one? I think I'll sit this one out."

Hudson didn't get a chance to respond. The music had been cut out and I could hear my name being shouted by Nix and Phil below. I groaned, leaning back in the chair as I turned back to Hudson across from me. He leaned forward and touched my hand with an encouraging look.

"I'm stuck with you all year, Ari. Go have fun."

Finally caving in to Nix's obnoxious yells, I hugged Hudson tightly before stepping back into the house and heading downstairs. Damien was coming up as I was going down and hesitated, looking back out the open sliding glass door.

"I know I don't have to say it, but please don't drink. Bad things happen when you do." He tried to make it sound lighthearted, but I could hear the seriousness laced through.

"I'm definitely never drinking again in my life, Damien. Don't worry."

His index finger caught my chin when I tried to turn away and he leaned down and kissed me, only for us to be interrupted by a groan. I pulled away to find Nix standing in front of the door, scratching at the back of his head as he looked between his brother and me.

"Look, can you guys save that for the bedroom? I'm tryna have fun with my girl, Damien. It's my turn." Nix outstretched his hand with a bow, "My lady."

Damien dropped his hand to his side and shook his head, laughing on his way up the stairs. I managed to make it to Phoenix before my foot started aching again. He must have seen my expression twist in pain because he swept me off my feet and carried me out on to the deck, winking.

"I've got you, but I'm sure you'll be fine." He brushed my hair out of my eyes with a grin. "After all, we found out that fairies can swim this summer, yeah?"

Then he thrusted me forward and dropped me into the pool, only realizing I was about to attack him when I resurfaced. His eyes widened as he ducked behind Phil. My brother laughed, tossing me a towel, and I took off across the deck after my favorite idiot.

*

"Sam?" I stopped outside my brother's room, surprised to find him sitting in the middle of his bed with his legs against his chest, "Hey, why aren't you outside?"

He lifted his head slowly, his shoulders slumping forward when he spotted me in his doorway. "Not in the mood."

I stepped into his room, but was immediately hit with a wave of coldness. The window was closed, but something about the entire atmosphere of the room was cold.

"Sam, are you good?" I asked, touching my hand to his tear stained cheek. "And I want the truth. Not the bullshit excuses."

"Honestly? I can't do this." Sam said through a sob. "It's like I have all these voices in my head and all this pressure in my chest. I just want it to stop."

I reached out and wiped the fresh tears rolling down his cheek. "What's making you feel like that?"

"Mom dying. Dad being sick." He knew about Dad? "I don't know, Ari. I've felt like this since we were kids. It comes and goes in these waves. Usually Nix helps me through it, but he hasn't been the same since we graduated in May. More focused on his future and all that."

I wanted to cry with my brother, but instead hugged him against my chest and reassured him that I was here and wouldn't be going anywhere.

*

By the time Sam finally started to drift into a deep, peaceful sleep, the party was over and though the house still reeked of alcohol and sweat, it was silent. I headed for my room, shocked to find Damien leaning against the windowsill and staring out at the water.

"Hey." He greeted without looking up. "Are you okay?"

I joined him in front of the window, touching a hand to my wet shirt. "I'm fine. Sam's just. . . I'm worried about him."

"He'll be okay." Damien rested a hand on the small of my back. "He's went through these breakdowns his entire life. They last a couple months then he's through it smiling up a storm again."

I thought back to the look I'd seen in Sam's eyes, one that I'd grown all too familiar with the last few months. "I don't know, Damien. Something doesn't feel right."

"We'll have Nix talk to him. We'll let him know we're all here and he's not alone." Damien rested his chin on my head. "He'll be okay."

Staring out at the water as it crashed against the shore, I felt at ease as I had all those years ago. And when I turned to Damien, for a moment he appeared to me as the seven year old who'd stood beside me in this very spot ten years ago.

"What if this doesn't work out, Damien? Not just us, everything, with me staying here."

He sighed, tightening his grasp around me, and whispered softly in my ear. "That's something I can answer. I learned this summer, Arianna, that you won't know unless you try. You can keep asking the what ifs, the whys, but unless you take the chance and do it, that's all they'll remain."