Page 490 of Coal Hearts

Loved?

I froze.

I don’t love her—

A surge of possession.

A cascade of emotion that siphoned hotly through my veins.

Love...

No.

I couldn’t.

I can’t—

Licking my lips from her salty, sad taste, I gritted my teeth and shoved away every thought.

The bandage around my arm grew wet with fresh blood as I forced shaking hands to finish the job of coating her in the entire tub of arnica.

Her breasts and belly had little circles bleeding outward. Spreading flowers of black, blue, and purple.

She was stunning.

Ruined.

Ily—

I choked on those three little letters, gagging on the three words they represented.

Another trembling panic attack turned my insides into a maelstrom.

Yanking the towel out from under her so she wouldn’t sleep on something damp, I tossed it into the corner before working the bedding down and tucking her in.

I shook as I gathered her wet hair and draped it over the pillow.

I trembled as I stood over her, trying to find other ways to fix what I’d broken.

With a heavy sigh, I moved away and swallowed a groan.

Everything hurt.

Everything throbbed.

Yet nothing could touch the pain she’d caused.

Biting my lip, I glanced at my left side.

The colours had only gotten deeper. The sharp pain she’d mentioned whenever she breathed affected me too. I’d managed to ignore it while killing Kyle. I didn’t have time to focus on it while carrying Peter, but now...all alone, my legs chose that exact moment to buckle.

The dizziness.

The faintness.

I crashed to the floor, bracing myself on my hands and knees as my heart flurried and the sick sensation of not being able to get enough oxygen made the room turn black.

Darkness pounced, not done with me.