Helplessness takes over as a vision of my wedding dress comes into view, quickly overwhelmed by the remnants of a dead body and blood spilling across the altar. Only to settle on the tattered remains of white lace as I find myself on campus.
Once the door is open, everything comes rushing back.
The clifftop with Baron, Sax in my room, the Rejuvenating Ceremony with Archer, Inky Lake, and Teddy. But I’m swallowed up by my last moments, by my father, and what he did.
Unfortunately, he’s not here.
But they are.
Unceremoniously dragged back to the present, I find my fingers curled into the sleeves of Archer’s t-shirt as he holds my weight, keeping me from collapsing to the floor altogether. His eyebrows are drawn tight, worry dancing in his eyes as he stares down at me.
I don’t need to part my lips for him to know.
“Ivy,” he breathes, defeat on his tongue as my hatred for him comes back full force.
Swaying on my feet, I push away from him.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t see.
I can’t think.
“Vee?” my brother breathes, but I can’t focus as I bend in half, bracing my hands on my knees as my head lolls between my shoulders.
Nausea churns inside of me.
“Get out!” I snarl, my vision blurry with tears as I dig my nails into my skin. I sense someone crouch down beside me, and it only angers me more. “I said get out!”
“Vee, tell me what?—”
“She remembers,” Archer hollers, his words filling the room and igniting my rage further.
“Don’t fucking talk about me like you know me.” My gaze snaps to his. He assesses me like he always does, and I hate it. “Get out.”
“Princess,” Teddy starts, and I growl, anger burning so brightly inside of me that I don’t have control. I’m simply a vessel for the emotions that are consuming me.
“Don’t fuckingprincessme.” I stab a finger in his direction, forcing myself to stand tall despite the vertigo playing havoc with my body.
“What did I do?” he blurts, lifting his hands in surrender, and I shake my head.
“You didn’t stop me.”
“Stop you?”
I wave a hand at Archer. “Before I died, would I have willingly climbed into bed with someone I despise?” I snap, watching as guilt claims his eyes and slackens his jaw.
“I warned you about this,” Hugo starts, and I turn to him with rage still consuming me.
“You didn’t warn me.”
The room turns still, all eyes on me as I heave every breath. I can’t even bring myself to acknowledge the state of myself. Butnone of that matters. All I care about is getting the hell out of here and as far away from them all as possible.
How dare they fill my room, show they care, and hold me while I sleep, not expecting me to remember what they’ve done to me. Teddy, I can half understand. I gave him my virginity like a desperate fool, but the others? There’s no reason for them to be here. But since they won’t listen to my screams and leave, I’ll do us all a favor and be the one to take action.
“Vee, I need you to calm down,” Hugo starts, and my wild eyes return to his.
“I’m leaving.”
