Page 77 of Broken Bonds

I scoffed. She probably knew me better than he did at this point. “I promised her I wasn’t leaving. To hell with you, Ryan. I’m not leaving her. Not now. She fucking needs me. The last damn thing she needs is me walking away when her life is being flipped upside down.”

His glare was cold enough to freeze Hell. “You’re going to break her. You’re going to shatter what’s left of her heart.”

I ground my teeth together, so damn tired of being compared to that fucker. “I’m not him.” Rage simmered beneath my skin at the accusation he was making. I wasnotCeline’s ex.

“You areexactlylike him, and you’re going to break her just like he did.” Ryan got out of bed and started pacing.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m not him, and you fucking know it, Ryan. You wouldn’t be friends with me if I was.”

He stopped, his hands pulling at his dark hair as he contemplated my words. Both of us knew it was true. He was just an overprotective big brother, terrified to see her hurt again. But I’d never fucking hurt her.

“I can’t put her together again, Ace. I can’t keep gluing the pieces back.”

“I care about her!” I shouted, and he stopped, his wide eyes looking at me. But then, he shook his head and continued to pace, thinking about his next words.

“Heloved her, Ace. Look where that got them both.” He stopped and looked at me in the darkness, his arms crossed over his chest.

And somehow, all the rage building inside me evaporated.He loved her.I loved Jack, and I couldn’t save him either. Love wasn’t strong enough to save either of them. It was just like the said; I wasn’t enough for her, just like I wasn’t for Jack.

“Okay.” I flopped back onto the air mattress, feeling defeated and exhausted.

“That’s it? That’s all I had to say?” Ryan was standing over me, his features pulled into a frown of disbelief. What the fuck did he want from me? He was finally getting his way, and now he looked like he wanted me to fight harder? I couldn’t keep up.

“Goodnight, Ryan.” Turning away from him, I closed my eyes, seeing a smiling little boy in my mind. My heart tightened, and my throat burned.

“Ace?” Ryan asked, sounding unsure now.

“Just friends—like you said.” I wished he’d fucking drop it. “I don’t deserve her.” I heard the shuffle of his feet going back to the bed and then the loud squeak of the mattress before he settled. Thankfully, he let it go and didn’t say another word.

My dreams were filled with Jack and of that day, leaving me wishing more than anything I had never touched my damn phone.

The next morning, my resolve to just be friends with Celine crumbled when she smiled at me from across the breakfast table, her lips glossy and pink, her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. And for the first time in days, she had makeup on.

Who was she trying to impress?

She refused to use the wheelchair after having a screaming match with Ryan, who insisted she needed it, but the girl wouldn’t rely on someone to push her around and won the argument, wobbling to the truck on her crutches, a small backpack hanging off her shoulders. I wanted to carry it for her because Ryan would carry her to the car, but I had to pull back. I couldn’t give in to my desire—not with her.

She deserved better.

Celine didn’t speak the entire ride to campus, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest, amplifying her cleavage through the thin, black V-neck shirt she was wearing. Near campus, she started to tap crazily on her phone. Lo and behold, as we parked, Amber appeared, her flaming red hair on top of her head in a big bun with red lips to match tipped up into a giant smile, and an even brighter red coated her cheeks at Ryan’s appreciative look.

Dick.He was such a hypocrite.

“Good morning!” she chirped, helping Celine out of the cab.

“Morning, Amber.” Ryan nodded at the redhead, causing her blush to deepen.

“Hey, bitch, you got here fast!” Celine laughed, swaying on the crutches.

“Mornin’.” Celine’s head snapped in my direction, anger flashing in those blue eyes.

What had I done now?

Ryan and Amber walked off in the direction of their first class, which happened to be in the same building where Celine and I had class together. With Ryan finally out of sight, I grabbed Celine’s small bag and swung it over my shoulder.

“I don’t need your help,” she snapped at me. I could hear the pain in her voice with the small step she took, swinging herself forward on those damned crutches. Why couldn’t she just take the wheelchair?

“Never said you did, baby.”Fuck—friends, Ace. Just friends.

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