"I'm Jamie," I introduce myself like a dipshit.
She doesn't care who I am. As far as she knows, I'm one of the three men who broke her daughter's heart. The crunching of snow around me doesn't stop me from continuing to risk my life. So much threatening energy makes me anxious to get my words out.
"Is she okay?"
"She will be just fine," Blue states, seeming to choose her words carefully. Her tone is flat, maybe a little curious, but I try not to read too much into it.
"Blue, please," I start, but choke when a hand slams down on my shoulder.
Fear ripples through me only because I know I won't fight back. Violet's family is doing their job by protecting her, and there is no way in hell I would stand against that.
"You need to leave." This guy looks a bit more easygoing than the others, and maybe a little nervous.
"Hold on, Declan," Blue calls out, eyes thoughtful. "He can have one sentence before you shove him back into his car."
"What about us?" Ellis asks like a fucking idiot. "I have some shit I need to say too."
Blue eyes him as he and Nate come to stand beside me. I step away, which she notices. We arenota united front. I'm hurt just like Violet.
"Seems every time I see you, Ellis, you're fighting for your life with my men." Blue's jaw ticks, and Ellis shifts nervously on his feet. "You go first since I've met you."
Fuck, I forgot Ellis was her nurse after she was rescued.
"It was real," he rushes out, eyesactuallydripping with tears.
Blue looks to Nate next, and he declares, "We aren't letting them go."
Sucking in a quiet breath, I turn to look at them. Their faces show nothing but guilt and determination. I'm taken aback by his choice of words.Them?
"Jamie," Blue says softly, as if she realizes that hit me in the gut. "Your turn," she announces like this isn't one of the most stressful, weird fucking situations I've ever been in.
"I didn't know." My statement is a complete and utter fucking fact. I didn't know they singled me out for a revenge plan.
Blue nods and turns around as if to go inside. But I can't let that be all. "And because I'm not guilty," I shout, no longer looking at Blue but at the big house behind her. "I get to say one more thing. I love you, Violet. And I'm not leaving you.Ever.You're everything."
Turning away and walking back to my car is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I don't care what Nate and Ellis do. My heart is aching, and my soul is begging the sun and the stars to listen to me—give my girl some light.
I've given her enough to think about. She may have some space, but I'll be back later.I'll keep coming back for as long as it takes for her to come outside and talk to me herself.
Seven
VIOLET
I'm a whole ass fucking mess. Everything is a mess, and it started because of me.
Woe is me, right? But it's fucking true, and I'm feeling incredibly unhinged the more I think about it.
My new journal at Mom's house is blank sheets of paper from their home printer. Who still has a printer?
"What are you doing?" Levi, freaking Levi, calmly asks me this.
I don't even spare him a glance. He punched Jamie and tossed him into a snowbank. Jamie was wrongly accused. Because of me.So why haven't I unblocked him?
"Rage journaling." I’m not up for talking to anyone, and thankfully Levi gets it and leaves. Mom's library is doing nothing to calm my psyche. Over and over again, I go through the things I witnessed and heard.
I'm so stupid for thinking Jamie knew about the revenge plan. FACT.
Jamie has been nothing but loving and obsessed with me for YEARS. FACT!
