Page 10 of Shattered

“Morning, Jade,” Jett grumbled, shuffling into the kitchen.

“Morning. Breakfast will be ready in a minute.”

Stirring the skillet of scrambled eggs with one hand, I used the other to lift a steaming mug of coffee to my lips, taking a few healthy gulps.

“I’m sorry about yesterday, Jade.”

“I know.”

He’d already apologized, but knowing my brother, the guilt over worrying me had his tender heart in shreds. Jett was my everything and had been from the moment he was born. Our relationship was different than most brothers and sisters. While some people became annoyed if their younger siblings tagged along, I panicked when he wasn’t within my line of sight. My childhood friends didn’t see a sliver of the horrors happening behind the closed doors of our shitty little house, though they figured out enough to more or less adopt him into our group. Which was why it hurt so much when we left. We cut all ties with our old life, deciding to start fresh, but there wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t miss them. Especially Marissa.

Flipping the burner off, I picked up the pan by thehandle, separating its contents onto two plates and carrying them both to the table. Jett poked his fork into the bowl of cantaloupe I’d cut up earlier as I set his food down in front of him.

He’d just popped a chunk of the sweet fruit in his mouth when I asked, “What’s going on with you, Jett? Is everything okay at school?”

Chewing slowly, his gaze remained fixed on his food until he swallowed whatever was in his mouth. Only then did he look up. I’m not sure what I expected to see. I was prepared for annoyance, but certainly not the hint of fear I saw flash in his eyes right before he slid a mask of indifference firmly into place.

“School’s fine.”

“Jett—”

“I gotta catch the bus.”

Leaving the eggs untouched, he pushed back from the table and fled the room without giving me the chance to utter another word.

“Dammit,” I swore when I heard the front door slam closed.

There were no secrets between us, at least there didn’t used to be. Recently, he’d been pulling away and, in doing so, had caused a rift––a divide––I desperately wanted to obliterate. These days, it seemed the only people hedidtalk to were Koen and Nelson. Since I didn’t know the latter outside of a few brief interactions, my only real option for discovering my brother’s truths was the man who flippantly proposed marriage in order to protect my little family.

In truth, Koen was exactly the kind of man I could see myself with forever. He was smart, funny, and loyal to a fault, which was why I had to keep my feelings on lockdown. The man deserved better than a girl who came frompeople you’d find in dark alleys handing over stolen pennies to get their next fix. He deserved someone whole, not a woman who was shattered into pieces by a violent past.

Scooping up a forkful of fluffy goodness, I ate my breakfast with a heavy heart. When I was finished, I set the dishes in the sink to be washed later and trudged up the stairs for a quick shower.

An hour later, I climbed behind the wheel of my silver Nissan Altima, with even more butterflies fluttering around in my belly. It was Henley’s first day back at work after our ordeal, which meant there would be no more dodging her attempts at communication. Even though we hadn’t known each other long, she’d quickly become one of the best friends I’d ever had, which made what Jett had done that much worse. Sure, his intentions had been pure, but it didn’t negate the fact he’d caused her harm. He was damn lucky the FBI took an interest in his genius brain, deciding to hone his skills for the better rather than prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

The fifteen-minute drive to Over Easy flew by, thanks to my anxious deliberations. However, the second I parked and saw Henley leaning against the front of the building, arms crossed with a look of sheer determination on her face, a different sensation shook me to the bone.Longing. I’d missed her and Lanie more than anything.

Exiting my car with slow, exaggerated steps, with my gaze planted firmly on my sneakered feet, I stumbled to a stop when she moved to block the door.

“Enough hiding, Jade.” Her voice sliced through the quiet morning air.

“I wasn’t hiding.”

Lie.

“Oh, really? What would you call it then?” Shecocked her head to the side. “You’ve bitch buttoned me every time I called, which by the way, you need to personalize your voicemail message instead of using a generic one.”

“I was giving you space, Henley, and time to recover.”

“Who the hell said I wanted either of those?” Taking two steps forward, she met my eyes before using her finger to poke me hard in the chest. “You took yourself out of my life when I needed you most.”

Shame flooded my body.

“I’m sor?—”

“No.” She poked me again. “We are well beyond apologies and this distance you’ve created? You’re done with that too. You get me?”

“Ow, I get you,” I rubbed the spot where her finger had most definitely caused a bruise.

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