Big Salmon Lake i had to burn everything that i was just to come back like a phoenix

Teya said his name and his frantic gaze flicked to her, though he did not react otherwise. His eyes promptly swung back to Bridget when she brought up fishing, inviting him to lend a hand to better their odds.

Mindlessly, he blurted, I don’t—I don’t know how to fish. He hadn’t even realized what Bridget was doing, though it had the desired effect: something inside him unclenched and the panic began to subside. And I don’t— He cut off, not entirely sure what he’d meant to say.

Slowly regaining control of himself, Caracal looked between the two women for a moment, jaw clenching. He exhaled, dropping his eyes. When he looked up again, Bridget’s apology replayed in his mind. His toes curled in the dirt. He so badly wanted to push all thought of it aside, like the last time Reyes had attacked him.

Instead, Caracal’s mouth spurted more verbal diarrhea. It’s not your fault my dad is a piece of shit.