Maybe we’re not as broken as we think we are.
Because if there’s one thing I know for damn sure, it’s that I’m not giving up. Not on her. Not on Alaric. Not on any of this chaotic, fucked-up family.
We’re all a little damaged, a little rough around the edges.
But fuck it—maybe that’s what makes us fit.
TEN
Buzzing wakes me, dragging me from sleep. I blink against the darkness, my head heavy and my limbs sluggish. The only light in the room is the glow of my phone on the nightstand.
Jinx isn’t here anymore, and neither is Sylus. I reach for the phone, the screen almost blinding, and I have to squint to see that I’ve got a text message fromher.
Brat
I dare you to text me back.
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
Even after everything, she’s stillher.
MyTrouble.My girl.
My fucking life.
My chest aches with a longing that’s burned for years, buried beneath guilt and grief, now clawing its way to the surface.
I barely have time to process it before I hear a soft sound outside my door. Muffled, like someone sliding down to sit against it.
I don’t need to look. I know it’s her.
Sylus’s words echo in my head.
“Give her the chance to decide that.”
“You’re both alive, man. The rest, we’ll figure it out.”
With a pounding heart, I take a deep breath and swing my legs off the bed to walk toward the door. When I reach it, I slide down to the floor, pressing my back against the wood. Closing my eyes, I let myself feel the weight of her presence on the other side.
We’re back-to-back, almost like we used to sit, but this time, there’s a barrier between us, a door that feels as insurmountable as the years we’ve spent apart. I listen to her breathing, trying to match mine with hers, creating the illusion that we’re closer than we really are.
Lifting my phone, I type out the words before I can second-guess myself.
You’re on.
There’s a muffled sound from the other side, a sob quickly stifled like she’s holding her hand over her mouth.
Fuck. Sylus was right. She’s hurting just as much.
A moment later, another message comes through.
I don’t even know where to start.
Neither do I. But I don’t say that. Instead, I let my head rest against the door, staring blankly at the ceiling as I try to will away the weight crushing my chest.
The phone buzzes again in my hand.
I thought you were dead.
