Page 103 of Unraveled

“Hold on, guys. I’ll take out my own trash.” David ran up and threw Ruby over his shoulder.

“The fuck?!” she screeched.

“David, wait!” Izzy called, and I followed her as she ran over, forever her protector. Even when the protective fire in her eyes said she didn’t need me. I had her back no matter what.

Izzy stopped right in front of Ruby and leaned in, her glare rivaling Annie’s. I could see the words sitting on the edge of her tongue, ready to tear her in two. There was so much she wanted to say to this girl that had just hurt her sister, but then Izzy just shook her head, a look of disgust on her face as she stood tall again. “You know what? She’s not worth it. Take the trash out, David.”

“Yes! Love it, Cuz,” Kyle praised, Ruby’s shriek filling the background as David hauled her off to his car.

Izzy gave a weak smile, and I reached down to scoop her up, my arms wrapping under her ass so that she had to look down at me. Her hands rested on my shoulders as she blinked back the surprise, but I beamed. “You’re fucking amazing. I love you.”

A wide smile slowly spread across her face, and her hands came up to grip either side of my jaw. “With fucking everything.”

Chapter 32

ANNIE

This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. Thiscan’tbe happening!I chanted my inner monologue as I ran.

My bare feet squished into the damp sand along the water’s edge, the sparse seashells my steps managed to find pressing willingly into the giving surface, becoming part of the trail of footprints in my wake. I hated leaving a trail for Jet to find, but the water gave me something to follow in the moonlit night, and follow blindly. My mind was in shock, both my thoughts and emotions whirling in a storm…suffocating.

Oh, God!The image of that kiss flashed through my mind, and again, the breath was knocked from my lungs with the pain.

Sucking in a sharp gasp, I kept running. Running was my only chance of forgetting, of clearing my mind. But the shock must have been affecting my body, too, because it wasn’t working. The image wouldn’t stop, my thoughts tormenting me in their whirlwind.

I just ran faster.

Faintly, I could hear Jet calling my name from behind me, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. He’d never understand how much he’d hurt me. I knew he couldn’t. Because if he could, heneverwould have betrayed me. Betrayedus.

Searching myself, digging from within, I pushed for more speed, my toes pressing harder against the ground, propelling me further. Faster. My hands balled into fists, pumping with their frustration as I ran.

The letter I still held crammed in my hand crackled with the pressure. Jet wouldn’t catch me. I had more stamina and speed. Even the random edge of a shell that tried to dig its way into the sole of my foot couldn’t slow me down. That pain barely registered compared to the agony that wiped the very air from my lungs. But the crackling of that letter?… That was like another crack at my freshly battered heart.

Neverhad the written word caused me so much pain.Neverhad I felt so betrayed. My heart had never hurt like this. Where my emotion was so raw it was actually a physical pain. I’d felt terror before, gut-wrenching fear and grief, but this pain… This pain was obliterating.

AndJetcaused it.

My entire world was unraveling.

I can’t take this. I won’t survive this.

I clutched my chest as another wave of agony nearly caused me to double over, and I gasped for more breath, the sobs thick in my throat. Overwhelmed as I grew sick from the intensity of the unrelenting storm I felt inside.

I swallowed hard to keep anything from coming up. That would mean stopping. Stopping would mean no running. And no running would mean letting Jet gainground. Maybe even catch up if I couldn’t regain control fast enough. Ihadto keep running.

Except it isn’t working! Why isn’t it working?!I wanted to scream out in desperation.Needingthe relief from my ever-spinning mind. Running had never failed me like this before, not when I pressed myself to my limits. The adrenaline would eventually kick in, and I’d be saved from the torturing thoughts.

But now I just kept seeing that kiss. Ruby leaning into Jet, his hand on her chest. Her hands sliding up into his soft black waves. The same place my fingers had wound themselves just this afternoon. How he hadn’t pushed her away.Not until he realized I was there.

A growl ripped from my throat. Jet wasn’t solely mine anymore. Ruby knew his smell, his touch, everything about him in the most intimate ways.

But he’s supposed to bemine!Onlymine! He promised!

Promises could be fucking broken…

My heart clenched with my lungs, knowing which one he’d broken to me. So many of his sweet words now meant nothing with his betrayal.

A fishing pier came into view up ahead, telling me how far down the beach I’d gone. This stretch of sand was at the edge or just past what belonged to our friend, and I knew with the distance there was no way Jet could be anywhere near me. My roiling stomach demanded a break, but I had to keep going, ignoring the way the tattered edges of my emotions were finally ripping me apart.

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