Page 83 of Embers of Torment

"I know you don't. Your parents weren't like mine. Your mother was a volunteer in your classroom, and she and your father attended every school function…together…as a couple. When they looked at you, I could see the love and devotion in their eyes. I hated it and your happiness. I was determinedto take it from you. It was what I wanted and wasn't allowed to have. It made me bitter and mean. I lashed out at others and emulated my father because that was the only way I could receive a semblance of praise. And even then, it was minimal and fleeting."

"But what about your mother? Where was she during all this?"

Jace sighed, his expression pained. "Her life was worse than mine. My father demanded she follow his strict rules. If she showed me motherly affection or stood up for me, he came down on her, saying it would make me weak. When she finally got to the breaking point, channeling her fear and finding the strength to fight back by asking for a divorce, I saw the beginnings of a woman reborn. My father had crushed her spirit, her desire, and her will. He diminished her self-worth. Once she got away from him, she was like a bird that had found its wings."

"How's your relationship with your mother now?"

"It's decent. But we're not close. I feel the closest to my adoptive father, Edward. He's a good man, kind, considerate, respectful, and caring. He was patient, teaching me the difference between right and wrong, how to treat others, and the meaning of respect. I don't know where I'd be without his counseling and tutelage. His guidance and seeing firsthand the ramifications of bullying on someone I cared about turned my life around."

"You mean your mother?"

"Her too, but no. It was my step-sister, Hillary. She's four years younger than me and is Edward's daughter from his first marriage. Hillary lived with her mother and was bullied repeatedly in school. I could see its effects on her when she came to North Carolina for her visitations. The bullying got worse, and Hillary's physical and mental state deteriorated. She stopped eating, became fearful, and withdrew from her friends, basically becoming an empty shell. It all came to a head when Hillaryattempted to hurt herself. That's when Edward and Hillary's mom agreed Hillary would be better off in North Carolina, and she moved in with us."

"What happened to her after that?"

"It took a lot of counseling, patience, love, and family support to get Hillary through it, but she recovered. She's a veterinarian and lives on a ranch with her husband and two kids. Hillary, more than anyone, forced me to see what I had done. I remember how devastated I was when it dawned on me that everything Hillary was going through, I had perpetrated on someone else. And the older I got, the harder it was to live with. I finally realized I couldn't get past it and forgive myself until I found the girl I'd tormented and asked for her forgiveness. Only then could I put it behind me and move on."

"And that girl was me."

"It was." Jace stared out the window as he continued to speak, his voice filled with sadness and pain. "I don't know whether it was fate, divine intervention, payback, or luck that the girl I treated so dastardly ended up being the one who stole my heart. I mean… It's so surreal. I can't make sense of it. But what I do know is that I'm so very sorry for what I did to you. Nothing could ever make up for the anguish I caused you and your family." Jace turned to me with red-rimmed eyes. "Della, please forgive me."

My heart broke at the devastated look on his face. "I forgive you. It's time for us to go forward, not backward. Neither of us can change the past, but we can move beyond it. I'm ready to try."

"Thank you," Jace whispered. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.

Losing the fight to control my emotions, I let the tears flow as I slid onto the bed and lay beside him. "No more words. Just hold me," I managed to say between sniffles.

And that's what Jace did.

Epilogue

Della

Boston – eight months later

Tired, I stood in the middle of my living room and spun in a slow circle. The place looked cold and impersonal, a stark difference from a few hours ago. I picked up my box of picture frames, glass figurines, and other knickknacks I'd left behind and plodded toward the door. After a final peek over my shoulder, I exited this chapter of my life and headed downstairs.

Jace and I had decided to give up our one-bedroom units and move into a two-bedroom apartment together. Although it was more expensive than our smaller units, combining two households into one was cheaper and would save us money each month. We'd deposit our savings into our growing housing fund,which we planned to use to purchase a home in the distant future. And the extra bedroom would be used when we had guests.

Jace's stabbing had put us on a path to those decisions, the incident forcing us to reevaluate our lives and acknowledge how deep our feelings ran for each other. I'd felt like I was losing a piece of myself when I thought Jace was dying, and I couldn't fathom existing without him. Jace already knew where his heart lay but became convinced that our relationship was somehow predetermined. And I had to assign some believability to that concept. After all, having our childhood connection come full circle the way it had seemed too bizarre to happen on its own.

But deciding to live together and executing those plans were two different things. Not wanting to leave this complex, we had to wait months for a two-bedroom to become available. Our new place was the corner unit down the hallway from Jace's old one, and we were lucky to get it since it afforded a breathtaking view of the waterfront and harbor. And now, I was excited to move in.

Stepping off the elevator in my section of our building, I crossed the lobby and spotted Jace walking toward me.

"I was coming to see if you needed any help. Reid and I finished moving all my furniture." Jace took the box from my arms. "Is that it, or do you have more boxes upstairs?"

"This is the last one. It contains some delicate items, so I left it behind rather than cram it on the cart when Sofie and I moved all my stuff earlier." I led the way to the bank of elevators in Jace's wing and pushed the call button. "I'll clean my old place first thing in the morning. It should be easy peasy since I thoroughly scrubbed it two weeks ago."

"I remember. That was when you found those wadded-up tissues behind your couch."

"Yeah, that was gross. It was from my crying spree, which wasn't the best time of my life."

"Mine either. I apologize for bringing it up. Thankfully, those days are gone, and we aren't going back." Jace leaned over and kissed me. "I can't tell you enough how much I love you."

"And I love you." I smiled, grateful I'd found the perfect partner in Jace. Although we both had quirks, he had all the attributes I sought. Plus, he had the biggest heart I'd ever seen. He made me happy and content, which was still mind-boggling, considering how we started.

Reaching the seventeenth floor, we went to our new place and stashed my box in the spare bedroom.

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