Page 9 of Ashes

The answer rushed out of me so vehemently I barely recognized the sound of my voice. I’d never had a girlfriend before, but specter was far from just a fun toy. She was mine. She was ours. It was that simple.

“One of,” I added.

“One of?” Cady snorted. “You’re really delusional, aren’t you? That’s why you’re stuffed away here, huh?”

“One thing I’m not is a liar.” My hand shook around specter’s. “Sirena is my girl. She belongs to the watchers.”

“You’re insane. The sooner she gets away from all of you the better she’ll be. I bet you and Seth are friends, huh? I always thought he was a damn weirdo too.” She shook in disgust at me. “Rina wouldn’t have one boyfriend, let alone however many your cracked brain is claiming.”

“I don’t have shit to prove to you. All I know is that she’s not leaving here.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” She gave me a hard glare.

This bitch was testing my restraint.

But that was OK. If I had to, I’d wrap specter into my arms, and we’d leave this fucking place. I wasn’t above taking what was mine.

And Sirena Lawrence belonged to me.

I’d do whatever I had to do to prove it.

STITCHES

My body screamed at me to stop, but I couldn’t. I had to get the frustrated, pent-up energy out of me before it crushed me beneath it. My fists collided with the punching bag over and over as they had been doing since last night.

The burning in my chest intensified, but I pushed past it, my insides humming as I tried to focus on the pain in my body and not the pain in my heart.

Her soft, warm lips. Her silky skin. Her smell. Lavender. Coconuts. Something distinctly angel. Her eyes. Blue. Green. Bursts of gold. Beautiful eyes. Perfect, sweet girl. My angel. My fucking angel.

She was gone.

Gone.

Gone.

She wasn’t coming back to us. Asylum had broken her. Shattered her. Shattered me.

My fists collided with the bag faster, my head spinning.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” Ashes called out.

I hadn’t heard him come into the gym in our basement. Not that I cared. But the last thing he needed was added stress from me. So maybe I did care. My brain hurt.

Rumors were flying at Chapel Crest. The watchers got her. Asylum got her. She was attacked by fucking Bigfoot. Danny Linley did it.

Fuck it all.

Her family was still staying in town. I hadn’t met them yet. Her room was on lockdown. Church was the only one who had seen her. It had been three days.

It was killing me.

Breaking me apart.

Fuck, I missed my angel.

My muscles begged for mercy as I continued my onslaught. I hadn’t been to classes.

“Stitches. Man. Stop. You’re bleeding.” Ashes’s hand landed on my shoulder as I beat the punching bag.