Page 78 of When We Are Falling

It's a sound that sends a jolt of shock through me, a reminder of all the violence and danger in the world. It's the kind of sound that makes you wince and look away, but I can’t look away because this is my life.

David stumbles back, clutching his jaw, eyes wide with shock. He’s rubbing his face, stunned, as if he can’t quite believe what just happened.

For a moment, everything is perfectly still, a bow string drawn too tight. David blinks at Ethan, taking in the broadness of him, the primal look in Ethan’s eyes. Then, with a shuddering breath, he takes another step back, the fight draining out of him.“You don’t understand,” he mutters, his voice shaky. “None of you understand.”

People on the boardwalk are looking at us, exchanging curious and concerned glances as they whisper to each other. The last thing I want is for this to turn into a scene, something that will get back to my mom, but it’s too late. The situation is already spiraling out of control.

“David, just go.” My voice is pleading as I reach out to him, but he recoils before I can touch him. “Please, just leave before things get worse. I’ll call you. We can work this out.”

He glances between me and Ethan, his eyes full of anger, betrayal, and something else I can’t quite place. Then, with a frustrated growl, he turns away, storming down the boardwalk without another word.

Chapter 35

Blake

David disappears into the distance,the details of his silhouette fading as he continues down the boardwalk. Ethan stands beside me, his own chest heaving as he tries to calm his breathing, his shirt clinging, outlining the powerful muscles underneath. The curl of his dark hair falls into steel-gray eyes that still burn with the remnants of anger and concern.

His jawline is tense, a muscle ticking there, and he looks a little wild, as if the confrontation shook something loose in him, and yet, he’s impossibly handsome—maybe even more so, with his rugged intensity on full display. There’s a rawness to him in this moment, an energy that makes him seem larger than life.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. We just stand there under the darkening sky. Then his face softens with concern as he places a hand on my shoulder, gaze raking over me to make sure I’m not hurt. “Are you okay?”

I nod, but the truth is, I’m not. Everything feels so overwhelming—David’s anger, Sylvia’s condition, the scene wejust caused. The fact Ethan justpunchedDavid. My head is spinning and I just want to be left alone to process everything.

“Did he hurt you?” His voice is soft, but there’s an edge to it, like he’s holding back the urge to go after David again.

“No, I’m fine.” I sidestep so the weight of his hand falls from my shoulder.

“Blake,” he says, not backing down, staring at me intently. “I just want to make sure you’re not hurt. What happened just now wasn’t okay. He hasnoright to touch you like that. No right at all.”

Am I stupid? Incompetent? Unable to handle my own business? Because that’s how he’s talking to me and it grates against every nerve. I try to push down the anger rising in my chest, but it’s no use, and the words spill out before I can stop them, fueled by all the frustration, fear, and guilt over not being able to help David that’s been building up inside me.

“Just drop it! You didn’t have to hit him!” I step back, my voice shaking with emotion.

“He was hurting you—”

“Do you even realize what you’ve done? David’s not some random guy—he’s someone I’ve known since we were kids. We’ve been through hell together, and you just…” I can’t finish the sentence, my throat tight with anger and something that feels a lot like despair. “You don’t understand. You’ll never understand what it was like for us, and now you’ve just made everything worse!”

Ethan’s eyes widen, shock flickering across his face as he reaches out for me. “I was just trying to protect you—”

“Protect me?” I interrupt, my voice rising. “This isn’t about protection! This is about you not listening, not trusting that I can handle things myself. You don’t get to decide how I deal with David, or anyone else from my past.”

My chest heaves with the weight of my words, and there’s pain in Ethan’s eyes, but right now, I’m too angry to care. “You’re just making things worse!” I repeat, my voice breaking, tears stinging at the corners of my eyes as I wrap my arms around myself.

“Please,” he says.

Suddenly, I can’t bring myself to look at him. My arm aches where David’s fingers dug into my skin, but that’s not what’s bothering me. It’s the look in Ethan’s eyes—like I’m fragile or unstable, like I’m someone he feels sorry for. Someone who can’t stand on their own two feet.

He continues to look at me like I might break, or implode, and I know I need to get hold of myself. My anger morphs, all the feelings pushed down. A deep breath, the heat coming out of my emotions.

“Look, I don’t need you to save me.” My voice is cooler now. “I can handle David. I’ve been handling him long before you showed up. I know what he needs when he starts using. I know how to help him. You have zero experience in this department, and I absolutelydon’tneed you to swoop in and try to fix everything.”

His expression tightens. “I’m not trying to take over. I just— I care about you. I love you. I want to protect you.”

“Protect me from what? From my own life? From the mess that’s always been there? You can’t just come in and make everything better. It’s not that simple.”

His jaw clenches. “I’m not saying it’s simple, but you don’t have to go through this alone. Why won’t you let me help?”

“Because yourhelpis not helping at all! When you step in like you did just now, it feels like you’re making me weaker. I need to deal with this on my own terms. I need to feel like I can stand on my own two feet without someone constantly looking over my shoulder.”

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