I wanted to kill him.
Not just for hurting Allie, but for all the things he did to Peyton.
Because he still wanted her... and I wasn’t going to let him have her.
Peyton finally looks at me. Her eyes are glassy with tears. “I couldn’t get you to hear me.”
The guilt hits hard.
I remember the sound of her screaming my name. The taste of blood in my mouth. The absolute fucking blackout rage that took over when I saw Landon staring at her.
My jaw tightens hard enough to hurt. “I scared you.”
Peyton’s expression crumples slightly. “No.” But she says it too fast.
I exhale slowly through my nose and stare down at my hands. “I wanted to kill him.”
The room goes silent.
Not because she’s shocked. She already knows that.
“The rage got to me,” I admit roughly. “I lost control.”
I don’t tell her the truth. There was another time I felt enraged.
And it was because of my father.
Peyton swallows hard. “He said it was my fault.”
Something cold settles inside me. “What?”
“In the dream.” Her voice shakes. “He told me I ruin people.”
Absolutely fucking not.The thought slams through me with enough force to make my vision sharpen.
I lean forward before I can stop myself. “Look at me.”
Peyton hesitates, then finally lifts her eyes to mine.
“You didn’t ruin me.” The words come out hard. Absolute. “You hear me?”
Her breath catches slightly.
“You didn’t make me attack him,” I continue quietly. “He held a knife to Allie’s throat. He stalked you. Terrorized you.”
She stares at me, fear in her eyes.
My voice roughens. “He did that. Not you.”
Tears slip silently down Peyton’s cheeks now.
And Christ. That destroys me more than the nightmare ever could.
I pull my shirt over my head and hand it to her. “Will this make you feel better?”
She reaches for it, then says, “Don’t look.”
I turn away, listening to the rustle as she removes her pajamas and puts on my shirt.
