Page 58 of Shattered

I’m just finishing in the bathroom when I hear Bane downstairs.

“You’re gonna be late!”

“Fuck off, mom!” I bite back. He’s right; I’m almost out of time.

Normally, I wouldn’t do the stairs with Bane right down there, but I don’t have a choice this morning. Despite my pain meds kicking in, I’m still sore. I tread carefully, easing myself down the first couple of steps while still out of Bane’s sight. From there, I try to look as natural as possible as I descend, and my leg pays the price for it as I move down a few more, nearing halfway.

And that’s when my leg gives out.

My bad knee hits the wood, and I tumble, reaching out desperately to grab the rail, but I miss, unable to loop my fingers around it. I crash down the stairs like a runaway piano, and I swear Bane reaches the bottom before I do.

When I finally hit the floor, the pain begins to flare out, consuming every inch of me from the roll, and I screech out in pain, clutching my bad leg and gritting my teeth.

“Fuck, are you okay?!” Bane blurts out.

“Fine,” I snap.

He offers me a hand, and I swat it away, and his eyes flare in anger.

“Fuck off,” I snap.

“No,youfuck off.”

I grab the stairs behind me, trying to find something to leverage myself up that isn’t Bane, and as I raise myself up, I give out again, flopping to the ground.

“FUCK!” I roar before putting my fist through the wall beside me.

“Asher, what the fuck!?” Bane snaps, offering me a hand again.

“I don’t want your fucking HELP!” I snap before wadding up some saliva in my mouth and spitting it at his jeans.

Bane flies backward away from me. “Can you even get up?”

I don’t want to try again in front of him, so I don’t, and he throws up his arms.

“That’s it, I’m fucking done.”

“Finally!”

He makes for the door but stops, my words piercing him, and he spins around on his ankles.

“I swear to god, Asher, you are going to kill yourself if you don’t get off your high fucking horse and just let the people who care about you HELP YOU!”

“I don’t need your help!”

“No, of course you don’t. Go fuck yourself. I’m going to do those appointments. If you’re still on the floor when I get back…”

He doesn’t finish his threat, only huffs and storms out the door.

Chapter 21

Lila

I’m sitting in my vehicle checking my emails when I see Bane storm out from the back towards his vehicle. He’s absolutely furious and doesn’t see me as he takes off in a rush.

Something’s wrong.

My heart races as I throw myself from my vehicle and bolt for the house. I don’t know the code to get in, but I try the same code for my home, hoping they just used the same code. Thank fuck, it opens.

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