Savage Cinderella (32 page)

“Oh, Lee, how could you? What have you
done?” My eyes burned as the words fell on the moist spring air, my
voice weakened by sadness and drowned out by the sound of the rain
pattering on the muddy ground. “I’m sorry I didn’t…” But there was
no point in being sorry now. “I’ll…miss you,” I whispered as I laid
the final rose on the mound of flowers. As I let go, it hit me. I
would never see him again. The realization slipped one level deeper
into my consciousness, penetrating my carefully placed wall of
denial. The searing jolt to my heart dragged a sob from my
lips.

Familiar footsteps registered behind me.
“You about ready to go?” My grandfather laid a large, firm hand on
my shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess so.” I wiped the tears and
rain from my face. We stood there for another minute, the two of us
saying a silent good-bye to Levi, any promise of a future snuffed
out in one horrible tragic event. But I knew that was how Levi had
wanted it, probably even planned it. He told me more than once that
he didn’t belong here in this life, that God had made a mistake.
He’d been a reckless daredevil since we were kids, self-destructive
in a way that wasn’t natural. He’d led me and Alex into more
trouble than any kid could possibly find on his own. That’s how I
knew it was all a lie.

The military report had to be wrong. Part of
me wanted to let it go and let them be right—to forget what my
brother was capable of and blame it all on Alex. But the part of me
that knew it wasn’t true couldn’t let Alex take the blame, even if
it meant I had to take as much responsibility as anyone. If I had
told someone…things could have been different.

In my mind I could see Levi running
headfirst into a bad situation knowing there was a good chance he
wouldn’t come out alive. His preoccupation with death had been a
topic of concern since the first time he cut himself on purpose
when he was ten. With every destructive act after that it became
clearer—at least to me—that Levi was capable of killing himself.
Mom stuck her head in the sand and tried to wish it all away, but I
knew what my brother could do. The same way I knew that there was
no way Alex would have led them into danger. It must have been
Levi’s idea. He’d been good at persuading people. The military had
the facts wrong. That’s all there was to it. “I need to know what
really happened,” I said, my words coming out stronger than I
thought myself capable of.

My grandfather let out a slow breath.
“Sometimes it’s best to let things be. Your brother died a hero.
There is no greater sacrifice than to lay down one’s life for a
friend. It’s a good way to go for a soldier.”

My teeth pressed together. “So the truth
doesn’t matter?”

“It won’t change anything. And your mother…”
His voice lowered and I heard the weariness creep in. “Your mother
needs to believe there is a purpose and a plan in all this.” He
wrapped a strong arm around my shoulder and led me away from the
gravesite. My feet resisted even as I leaned into his broad
chest.

“I don’t get it, Brig. What purpose is there
in a twenty year old being put in the ground? Or Alex losing a
leg?” My voice carried the sound of defeat. I walked with him
toward the limo, dreading the ride back to the house where, no
doubt, there would be another crowd to contend with. Exhaustion ran
bone deep inside me, fighting with the growing anger that fueled my
need for answers. I recognized my grandfather’s tone to mean he
wouldn’t help me dig into the details surrounding Levi’s death. He
and my mother would be just as happy to believe a lie. If I wanted
the truth, I would have to find it myself.

As I climbed into the back of the limo and
slid across the seat where my mother was already reaching for my
hand, a rush of adrenalin ran through me. The first place I would
start was with the one person who was there when it happened.
Whether he was ready to talk about it or not, Alex was going to
tell me what I needed to know.

To purchase Heaven Is For Heroes or my
second book, On Thin Ice, go to the homepage of my website and
choose your retailer.
http://www.pjsharon.com
.

Thank you so much for reading my books and I
hope you’ll stick with me as I venture into the dystopian world of
The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, a trilogy set in the year 2057.
Book One, Waning Moon, will be released in September of 2012.

About the Author

PJ Sharon is the author of several
independently published, contemporary young adult novels, including
Molly Finalist, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, FAB Five finalist, ON THIN
ICE, and Sheila and Golden Palm finalist, SAVAGE CINDERELLA.

Writing romantic fiction for the past six
years, and following her destiny to write Extraordinary Stories of
an Average Teenage life, PJ is a member of Romance Writers of
America, CTRWA, and Young Adult RWA. She is mother to two grown
sons and lives with her husband and her dog in the Berkshire Hills
of Western Massachussettes.

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