Page 52 of Fracture

“Great, Stella, that’s great.” He advances on me, stopping short and exhaling through gritted teeth. “You know what, you are fucked up. You can’t tell someone you love them, and then expect them to just sit with that like everything is fine.”

“Well gee, thanks.” I resist the urge to slap him. “You can move out, and stay the hell away from me.”

“Fine by me.” His voice is louder now, and I hiss at him.

“Keep your fucking voice down. This is not the time.”

“Oh right, we have to think about Dylan.” He narrows his eyes at me, his expression wild and I know he had as bad a night as I did. “Poor Dylan, who you can’t hurt. You really don’t know anything, do you?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

He snaps his mouth shut, biting his lip as his eyes drop from mine. With a shake of his head, he takes a step back from me. “Nothing. I don’t mean a thing. I’m tired, and I’m being an ass. I’m sorry.” He lifts his gaze to mine, and sighs heavily. “I am. I’m sorry. This is just… hard.”

“I know.” I want to take him in my arms and say everything I said last night again. Instead, I move towards him and take his hand in mine. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just… I feel like all I do is hurt people.”

He notches two fingers under my chin and lifts my face to his. “You don’t, baby girl. You’re a dream. Just not mine, unfortunately.”

I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. “I’m sorry, Levi.”

“I found a place, I’ll be out of here by next week.”

My gaze snaps up to his, and I shake my head. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I think we both know I do.” He sighs, running his fingers through my hair. “You deserve to be happy. I know you tell yourself that you don’t. But you do.”

“So do you.”

“I guess we’ll just need to find a way to be that, then.” He strokes my cheek gently, a sad smile ghosting over his lips. “My perfect chaos.”

I feel like he’s slipping away from me. I feel like I’m losing him. And because I’m a bitch, because I’m selfish and awful, because all I can think about is being alone and losing them, because I know one day I will, I do the only thing I can.

I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him.

He reacts instantly, like he was waiting for it, like he could see it coming even when I couldn’t. We’re caught in a feverish rush, hands frantically pulling at each other, the desire to drag the other person as close as possible so consuming my head spins. His tongue is hot and urgent as it strokes mine, and his hands move under my ass, scooping me up and placing me on the counter. My legs lock around his hips, pulling him close, and his fingers spear into my hair, forcing my head back so he can deepen the kiss.

“It’s always been you,” he says, panting. “Always, since I saw you in that pink dress, and you smiled at me across the aisle. It’s always been you for me, baby girl.”

I gasp, looking up at him with wide eyes. “All this time?”

“All this time.” His blue eyes meet mine, and he brushes his fingers down my cheek. “I tried so hard to talk myself out of it. I did. But I can’t.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

He laughs softly, curling a strand of my hair around his finger. “Because you were his girl. I couldn’t.. I couldn’t take you away from him.”

“It’s going to kill him,” I say softly.

Levi’s head drops, putting his hands on the counter either side of me. “Stella, there are things you need to know-”

My phone starts to ring, and I groan loudly. “That fucking phone.”

Levi gently pushes my legs away, and steps back to let me climb down off the counter. I slide to the floor, landing on unsteady feet, and take a deep breath before crossing the kitchen to snatch up my phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey cuz!” Lily’s voice is bright and cheery and way too fucking jarring for this time of morning and the mood I find myself in. “Did you get my message?”

“I-I did. I just hadn’t had a chance to respond yet, it’s kind of early, you know?”

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