Come to Me Quietly(121)

Aly frantically shook her head. “No.”



I blinked hard as I stepped back. “You will, Aly. I promise… it’ll be okay.”



“No, Jared, no.”



I backed away.

Aly clutched her stomach, bent over at the middle.

I turned around, my hands shoved in my pockets as I headed for my bike.

And I could f*cking hear her crying, begging me to stay. “Jared, no. Please don’t do this. Don’t leave me. I love you.”



I hopped on my bike and kicked it over. The engine rumbled loud, covering up her cries, blocking her out. I let my bike roll back from the parking spot, and I turned it around. From across the lot, I met the broken face of the girl who was screaming my name, imploring me through her tears. Christopher was holding her from behind, refusing to let her go.

She kicked her legs, struggling to break free. I could see her screaming it again and again.

Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.

I revved the engine to drown her out.

I’d thought it was impossible to hate myself more than I already did. But I realized now, I hadn’t even begun.

Nailed to the spot, I got lost in the torment that I’d inflicted on this girl, wishing for some kind of miracle that could erase it. That I could take it back.

Mocking laughter burned on my tongue. I was always wishing I could take it back.

In hesitation, my feet rocked on the ground, my hand gripping the throttle.

Christopher met my gaze, looking at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking, like he was offering some kind of f*cked-up trade. He would take care of her if I would just go.

Aly continued to fight and beg and cry. One last time, I let my eyes lock on her. The engine garbled then roared when I teased at the throttle. Aly screamed as she wept, “Jared… no!”



And I was going to remember her just like that, f*cking broken, the spoil of my ruin.

Because this was what I did.

I ruined everything I touched.



TWENTY


Aleena



“Jared, no!”



As if I were detached, the words echoed in my ears. As if they weren’t mine. As if this voice couldn’t possibly belong to me.

Because this voice hurt too much.

I watched his taillight disappear as he rounded the corner, the thunder of his bike bleeding into the night.

Devastation crushed me. Every hope I had splintered, fragmenting as they were torn away.

“Jared, no.”



This time it was a whimper, an utterance of the heart Jared had taken with him when he turned his back on me.

Once I’d promised that I’d take him any way I could have him. That I would take any piece he offered. Willingly, I’d submitted to the risk. Somewhere inside me, I’d always known I would lose him.

I just wasn’t prepared for what that would really feel like.

“Jared… ,” I whispered again.

Steadfast, Christopher held me from behind.

I gave up my fight and buckled, clutching my stomach as I tried to hold myself up.

But Christopher already was.

His mouth was urgent against the back of my head as he supported all of my weight. “Shh… Aly… come on, please stop crying,” he begged.

But I could do nothing but weep for the man who had just wrecked something so true, for the man who held so much hatred for himself he couldn’t see what we really had.

“Come here.” Christopher slowly twisted me around in his arms and pulled me against the safety of his chest. My arms were pinned between us, my hands clutching his shirt. “It’s okay,” he promised.