Free Loving War by C.M. Owens

up with his much longer strides. My panic only grows.
    “What’s going on?”
    “Raya called. We’ve got to get home.”
    Now my whole body heats with dread. “Kode, stop! What happened? Is Kade okay? Did something happen to Uncle Paul or Aunt Margaret?”
    He finally slows down, his lips tightening as though he doesn’t want to be the one to tell me. But realization slams into me almost instantly, and I know what he’s going to say before the words leave his mouth.
    “It’s Thomas Colton. He… passed away a little while ago.”
     

Chapter 7
     
    KODE
     
    There are few things I hate worse than funerals. None come to mind right now. I’m the worst possible person at consoling others. It’s never been my strong suit. That’s Dane’s shining point.
    When people cry, I cringe. When people need warm embraces, I’m stiff and unsure of myself. Even Rain. When she hugged me after hearing about Thomas’s death, I didn’t know how to react.
    I tried to comfort her, but I was relieved to see Dane so I could hand her over. Never thought I’d say those words.
    Tria… Tria didn’t seem to need comforting. Or if she did, she obviously knew I sucked at it and didn’t attempt to seek solace in me. Instead, she stayed quiet—utterly silent—the entire plane ride home.
    She stared at her hands mostly, never really meeting anyone’s gaze. Rain cried a little, but she mostly talked about everything she needed to do to help out her aunt and uncle to prepare for the funeral. Tria said nothing.
    I kept looking at her, hoping she’d at least let me know she was okay, but she seemed lost inside her own mind, sorting out her emotions on the death of a man their family loved very deeply, even though he was only their family through marriage.
    Yesterday I started to call her, but I had no idea what to say. I assumed she was busy with helping everyone get things ready. Maybe I still should have called her. Ah, hell. I really hate funerals.
    Now, sitting here in this massive church while someone gives a eulogy, my eyes are three pews down and across the aisle, trained on the girl with dark hair that can’t seem to do anything but stare at her hands again.
    She’s dressed in a black dress that touches her knees, and though she shouldn’t be so beautiful right now, she’s the very definition.
    I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do, but I feel like shit for not doing something. And I never feel like shit.
    The service draws to an end, and Kade and his family stand together. Raya tries to speak to Kade, but he holds his hands up to stop her, his eyes streaked with tears, and he shakes his head while walking away. He storms through the crowd in an angry blaze, before practically bursting through the church doors.
    I’m still uncertain if I should go to the cemetery or not, and right now, Raya looks just as uncertain as I do. As her unshed tears waver on her eyelids, she stares at the doors that close on their own, as though she’s willing Kade to come back in.
    Paul Colton whispers something in her ear, and she forces a smile while giving him a hug. She knows how to comfort people.
    “They’re requesting that only the close family and friends go to the cemetery,” Maverick says, coming to stand beside me as I watch Tria go to hug her aunt and uncle.
    “That’s wise. The cemetery won’t have enough room for all these people.”
    Maverick smiles as he looks around at the two-story church that is almost filled to maximum capacity. One thing is for sure; the Colton family is loved.
    Tria moves behind the family, and I make my way toward her after offering a few awkward embraces to a couple of people who surprise me. I really suck at this.
    Hazel eyes meet mine, and I smile at her, or at least I think it’s a smile. She looks around before veering off her path and finding my side on the way out the side entrance and into a massive lobby area. Still moving away from the crowd, we head toward one of the uncrowded