Page 156 of Splintered Hearts

“Want me to come in, or stay out here?”

“Please come with me.” I’m fucking terrified, not gonna lie. Knocking again, I jump as the door swings open to a very pissed-off Hunter.

“I can’t even be happy you made the drive over here.”

“Just hear me out.”

“Who’s that?”Fuck. Mark comes to the door, his features twisting. “Oh, good. I was going to drive over and kill you at some point. Nice of you to come here so I can do it in the comfort of my own home.”

“Now hold on, I think Jamie—”

“Xavi, please stay out of this,” Hunter says calmly. “Jamie fucked up.”

“Yes...” Xavi steps between us. “I think, though, he has some things he needs to say and some deep apologies he needs to make.”

Understatement.

“What’s going on?” Noah appears behind them, and all the other noise gets drowned out. He looks so tired, and so fuckingsad. I have to make this right. It doesn’t matter if Noah wants me after this, I just need him to know I didn’t mean what I said. He’s special, and I’m not going to let him go on thinking he’s the problem.

“We just came back from the cemetery—”

“Cemetery?” Noah asks.

Hunter’s eyes widen, knowing exactly where we came from. “Yes. I um... I’m sorry. I uh... I just want to come in and tell you something and then I’ll leave. I promise. I just... I need to get this off my chest. I have to.”

“No, you want to,” Mark snaps. “No one here gives a fuck about your excuses. What you said to Noah was—”

“Fucked up.” I finish for him. “I know. I just want ten minutes to explain, and then I’ll leave.”

“No fucking way!”

“Mark, let him in.”

Turning to his friend, Mark scoffs. “Noah, what are you doing? Haven’t you had enough? He’s going to—”

Hunter opens the door wider, ignoring his boyfriend, and I’m seriously going to have to grovel at his feet for all the shit he’s done for me. “Noah wants him in, he comes in.” He leads us through to the living room and I notice Noah’s comforter folded on the couch.

Memories of myself wrapped in it, wrapped up in Noah, punch me in the gut. I need to hurry and get this out before I break down. “What’s going on?” Mark folds his arms and I can’t even be mad. I deserve this.

“I just need to tell you something, Noah, but first...” My eyes lock with Mark’s. This is my first step. “I know you hate me and I get it. I’ve been terrible to you over the years. I don’t want you to take this out on Hunter. There are reasons for the way I’ve acted, but they aren’t excuses. I’ve been a dick to you, and I’m sorry. I want to make that clear. I’ve never wanted you and Hunter tobreak up. Ever. He loves you and I’ve never seen him happier, and he deserves that. What I’m going to tell you all is just the reason why I’ve been like this, it’s not an excuse. Just a way to understand what’s going on. That’s all.” I look to my brother, then to Noah.

Here goes nothing . . .

Five years earlier

“Where’s Lu?”

Ian’s head lolls toward me, his eyes blurry. Great, more drunk assholes. I’m over this party. I don’t enjoy crowds on a good day, but Luci wanted to go out for her twenty-first as if we haven’t been sneaking cheap vodka from Lia for years now.

Whatever, I could survive one night. “Luci?” he slurs.

Fucking great.

Where the hell is Maddox? At least I know he’s sober. Maddox doesn’t care if we drink, he just doesn’t like doing it himself. That’s how it is when your parents are drunks. “Have you seen her?”

“Seen . . . her?”

Fuck.

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