“Firefly… spit it out,” he growls, and I take a deep breath.
“Will you tell me what happened? The truth. Please,” I beg, and he takes a deep breath, staring down at his hands for a second before speaking.
“We were stupid.” A humorless laugh leaves him. “Justin wanted quick money. Said there was this rich asshole who left his keys in his car all the time outside some club,” he says as I listen quietly while hugging my knees to my chest. “We weren’t planning to keep it,” he continues. “Just jack it, strip it, sell the parts. Same dumb shit everybody in Daggerspoint grows up doing.”
His jaw tightens as he sits next to me on the couch.
“We got inside the car and Justin was laughing because he accidentally turned the windshield wipers on instead of the headlights. I can still hear him laughing. Still see him alive.” He shakes his head but continues. “He kept saying we were gonna get caught because we shared one brain cell between us,” he says as his eyes snap to mine, and I smile. I remember Justin as if he was here just yesterday.Everybody loved him.
“He was standing outside the car when it happened,” he whispers. “I’d just climbed out too because the engine sounded fucked up,” he says, swallowing hard. “Then headlights came outta nowhere.” His voice cracks slightly. “The driver was drunk. Flying down the road way too fast.”
I cover my mouth as both of our eyes blur with tears.
“I remember Justin yelling my name,” he chokes. “Then the car hit us,” he says, looking away.
“I got thrown sideways.” He stares blankly ahead while he relives it all over again. “But Justin… The impact pinned himbetween both cars,” he rasps, closing his eyes and shaking his head while tears stream down his face.
“There was so much blood, Firefly.” His voice shakes violently now. “I tried pulling him out. I swear to God I tried,” he growls. “But his legs…” He sucks in a shaky breath. “He kept screaming,” he cries out as tears pour down both of our faces. “I held his hand,” he whispers. “That’s all I could do. Just held his fucking hand while he died.”
My heart aches for him and for Justin. Shit.
“He kept apologizing to me.” He laughs brokenly. “Can you believe that? He was apologizing,” he says, shaking his head.
I reach for him, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer to me, then I lay my head against his chest.
It’s not until I hear his soft sobs that I climb into his lap, wrapping my arms around him. He finally lets go and sobs into the crook of my neck while apologizing about everything.God, I love this man. I love him so fucking much it hurts.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “Hayden, I’m so fucking sorry.” My eyes shoot up to the balcony and I see Bianca standing there with her hand over her mouth as tears pour down her face.I wish I could comfort both of them.But then I see a tattooed arm wrap around her, pulling her back into him. I smile when he winks at me.Fucking Stone.
I continue to let Hayden break—letting him take the time he needs. I kiss his cheek and he grips me tighter like he never wants to let me go.
“They told everyone we were drunk driving,” he mutters bitterly. “But we weren’t even drinking or driving the damn car yet,” he says as I slide my fingers into his hair gently. I fucking love his long hair.
“They blamed you,” I whisper.
“Yeah.” His jaw tightens. “And your father made sure it stuck.” Silence settles heavy between us again. Then finally I whisper the thing haunting both of us.
“I thought you abandoned me,” I say, and he pulls back to look at me. Tears streak my cheeks while those green eyes absolutely wreck me.
“I never stopped trying to reach you,” he whispers.
“I never got anything,” I say, my voice breaking with every word. “Not one letter.” Rage flashes hot beneath my skin because somebody made sure we never found each other again.
“I used to sit in that cell thinking you hated me.”
I immediately shake my head. “No. Never!” I growl. How could I ever hate him? I thought he was fucking dead. My chest aches so badly I can barely breathe around it.
“I loved you the whole time,” I whisper. “Even when I thought you were dead.”
His eyes widen as he looks in my eyes, then reaches up and cups my face. I lean into his warmth dying to feel him once more as he licks his lips.
“I can’t go another second of this. With you here in my lap. In my arms. Fuck!” he growls, and then… he presses his lips against mine. Soft at first. Almost scared. Then desperate because suddenly I understand the full truth of it now.We didn’t leave each other. We were torn apart. And God… the tragedy of that nearly kills me.
I cry quietly against his mouth while his hands cradle my face like I’m something sacred.
“I wanted to die after you were gone,” I admit. “I tried.”
He freezes instantly. “What?”
