Free Bright Star by Grayson Reyes-Cole Page A

neck rise. He felt his breathing rush and his skin tingle. He looked up and Bright Star was standing in the door.
    “There’s no food in the kitchen.” It was hard to tell whom she addressed. Her gaze flashed back and forth from the ground to Rush, but her body was turned to Jackson. “I was going to get something. I want to contribute, you know. Say thank you. Anything special you want for dinner tonight?”
     
     
    Old Times
     
    “Bright Star?” Jackson started pushing his vegetables around on his plate. “You haven’t told me how you ended up on that roof. I mean, maybe we should call the police.” She made a face. “If you don’t want to do that, I’m sure I can get someone from the Service to investigate discreetly. Really, no one will know what they find but us.”
    “I don’t think that will be necessary,” she said in a docile tone. She gave him a comforting smile and her blue eyes seemed to glow under the shining fringe of red hair.
    For a moment, Jackson softened. In the end, she had come away from this fine. Whole. Jackson’s face clouded as the image of this woman in a puddle of the glistening blood, her face stained red, imposed itself on the moment. “Bright Star, you almost died up there!” Jackson declared. “You can’t let them get away with it. There is no reason to protect someone who could have killed you.”
    “I’m not protecting anyone,” she argued. Funny how she could argue forcefully and at the same time convey the vulnerability that had led Jackson to try to save her in the first place. Her eyes were down as she continued, “I’m just telling you there’s no need for the police. What happened, happened. Besides, I may not have died.”
    “If you didn’t think you would die—and I assure you that you would have—then why did you call out to me?” Jackson asked. Bright Star kept her eyes on her plate and was silent.
    “Great question. Why don’t you answer him?” Rush interjected as he strode into the room.
    Jackson took note that his brother, who normally walked with his shoulders hunched and his head down, directly addressed the newcomer as he neared the table. He still wore his dreary layers. A faded black long-sleeved knit shirt. A dark, army green t-shirt over it. Baggy faded black jeans. But somehow, he looked larger, stronger. He sat down and reached for the bowls at the center of the table. Jackson couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Rush eat something besides cereal or burritos.
    “I called for help, you just… you just answered.” She explained reluctantly. Jackson noticed that she looked at him but never directly at his brother. Jackson wished Rush would stop making the poor thing so uncomfortable. Jackson had seen his brother intimidate people plenty of times, but this time he obviously did it on purpose.
    “Jackson,” Rush started even as he continued to scoop food onto his plate. “Did she call you by name?”
    “I don’t remember,” Jackson answered truthfully with a frown. “I’m sure she didn’t. How would she know my name?”
    “Yes, Bright Star,” Rush tilted his head and questioned her. “How would you know his name?” The girl didn’t answer. He turned his attention back to his brother. “Jackson, with all of your Service trained skills of observation, you don’t remember whether she said your name or not when you were whisked away to that rooftop?”
    Jackson did not have a ready answer.
    “At the end of the day, you’re an officer, Jacks. Why didn’t it occur to you to ask who did it? To call for help? To file a report, anything ? Follow the path backwards. See for yourself.”
    Jackson furrowed his brow. He thought back. He brought a hand up to cover his eyes and shut out anything but the memory of that rooftop. What had happened there? He began to concentrate, breathing slowly. In. Out. He breathed in and breathed out. Worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, he felt his body get heavy. He focused on physics