Page 87 of Fractured

That wasn’t right. Atticus always wore cardigans. It was part of his charm.

“Who are they?”

They remained quiet as Harper answered my question. “You know who they are, don’t you? You told me about them.”

“But that’s not them. They aren’t my boyfriends.” Finally, I did turn around. I had to know. Were the men I loved so much outside with Harper?

All four men had lined up a few feet behind me. Now, the way they looked at me, I knew. The love in their gazes was like a caress against my skin, even as my brain screamed that something wasn’t right.

There was something else in their gazes too. Something I couldn’t unsee.

Defeat.

“What is this?” I whispered as I brought a trembling hand to my lips. “Why are you out there?”

Kenzo and Atticus took a step closer, and but they stopped when I held up a hand. “What’s going on?”

“Lilith,” Harper said behind me as she opened the screen door slowly. “You’re having a psychotic break. I brought Kenzo and Atticus here to help bring you back to reality.” Her voice was gentle, as if she were trying to approach a wild animal.

Is that what I was?

Wild? Feral?

That felt right in this moment.

“Kenzo?” This wasn’t true. It couldn’t be.

“Yes, Lilith?” That was my Kenzo’s voice, but it wasn’t my Kenzo. And his lips didn’t move. The sound came from behind me, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out.

“Lilith.” Warm hands gripped my arms where they hung by my side. “Look at me.”

That was my Kenzo. I loved him. He was funny, he made me laugh. There was no way I could make him up. Absolutely no way.

When I opened my eyes, he had tears in his own.

“Is this true? You’re not real?” My voice caught on the last word.

“I’m real, Lilith. I’m real to you.”

Harper came closer to my back. “You need help, Lilith. I’m here as your friend. Okay? I need you to turn around so we can discuss this. Or we can go into the living room.”

“Atticus?”

“I’m here,” said the stranger at my back. But my Atticus stepped closer and crowded Kenzo. “Tell me this isn’t true, that you’re real,” I whispered, hoping the men Harper brought with her couldn’t hear me.

Atticus smiled sadly and shook his head. When Ambrose walked up to my side, I wanted to throw myself in his arms. “Ambrose.”

“We’re real to you, Lilith. We were what you needed when you needed us. We’re the ones that cared about you and loved you.”

Saint completed a semicircle as he joined me on my other side. “I took care of you, Lilith. Like you wanted me to.”

“None of this was real.” I stepped back and right into Harper. She steadied me but didn’t make any other moves.

“Let’s sit down, okay?” She tried to move me forward, but I was glued to the spot.

“They aren’t real,” I repeated, and when I reached my hand out to touch them, they vanished.

Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

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