Page 59 of Tiny Fractures

Ronan: I wish it was tomorrow already.

I smile to myself.

Me: What are you doing?

Ronan: I’m at the beach house. Shane’s got some people over. How about you?

Me: Julie talked me into going to a party with her, but I feel awkward.

Ronan: Try to have some fun. It’ll make the time go by faster and before you know it, you and I can have some fun…

I blush. Is he talking dirty to me? Before I can respond, someone snatches my phone out of my hands.

I whirl around to face Adam. I look around for Julie and Nate, but they must have moved to the living room because I can’t see them anywhere.

“Can I please have my phone back?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. Adam is tall and he’s put on some weight since I last saw him. It must be because he stopped playing football.

He doesn’t respond and instead reads Ronan’s last text message. A mean grin tugs at his lips while he scrolls through the conversation.

I’m agitated and manage to yank my phone away from him before he can further violate my privacy. “What are you doing here?” I ask, anger bubbling inside me.

“I should ask you the same thing. I thought you left town?” His voice is steady, and he seems genuinely curious. I expected a more threatening tone. After all, the last time I saw Adam was at school after he had been given probation.

“I’m here to visit my family,” I say, locking my phone and stuffing it into my back pocket to avoid another hijacking by Adam.

“You look good,” Adam says sincerely. I’m completely thrown for a loop; I didn’t expect him to show me any kindness at all, but then again, this is how he always was while we were together—sweet and complimentary one minute, violent and condescending the next. He could make me feel beautiful and then worthless in a matter of seconds.

“Thanks,” is all I can muster, suspicion rising within me.

“Listen, do you have a second to talk?” he asks, his brown eyes big and bloodshot. I can tell he’s been drinking.

“I don’t know, Adam,” I say, again looking around for Julie and Nate, hoping they’ll come to my aid and stop me from walking straight into a trap.

“Come on, Cat. What do you think is going to happen?” he asks, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.

Despite my intuition screaming at me, I give in to Adam’s request. He’s always held this weird sort of power of me. The way he exerts control is subtle but effective.

“I guess,” I say, and Adam turns and walks toward the back door. I follow him, still looking around for Julie, but she’s nowhere to be found. I quickly send her a text as I follow Adam out the door and into the backyard, just to make sure to let her know where I am and, more importantly, who I’m with.

Adam holds the door for me as I step out into the dimly lit backyard. My senses immediately heighten, and I take stock of my surroundings. The windows to the house are wide open, and the backyard, though not bright, is lit by little string lights. I noticeably relax when I see a couple making out on the porch swing. Not that the fact that people are around has ever stopped Adam from hurting me, but after everything that’s happened, I feel he’s less likely to lose it with witnesses around.

“What do you want?” I ask, harsher than I planned.

His brown eyes are huge now, and he towers over me, his shoulders broad. He’s wearing a tight red shirt that emphasizes the weight he’s put on, and not in a good way. He really let himself go, and part of me feels bad because, ultimately, I was the reason he couldn’t continue playing the sport he loved.

“I wanted to apologize,” Adam states, his voice soft, surprising me. This was the last thing I expected him to say.

“For what?” I press, although I know what he’s getting at.

“For that night when… when I lost control,” he says, looking at the ground. Everything about this feels weird.

When I don’t respond, Adam lifts his head again, his eyes meeting mine expectantly.

“Thanks,” I say simply.

Right on cue, his face contorts. His eyebrows knit together and his eyes narrow as he stares at me.

“Thanks?” he repeats. “Thanks? Is that really all you got?” I hear the anger rise in his voice, and his features become hard. I’ve seen this version of Adam all too often, and my body begins to tense.

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