Page 165 of Splintered Hearts

That makes my jaw tick. “No”

“You don’t think I can?”

“I know you can, Cujo. Calm down. I got this,” I whisper.

Satisfied, she pulls back, grinning and sticking her tongue out at Mark. She clutches the plushie that hasn’t left her grip since I gave it to her. No one’s said a word about it, but both Mom and Xavi noticed the scent. Luci’s favorite perfume was this dark pink bottle from Victoria’s Secret and the memories that smell brings back are rough. Whenever she squeezes the toy a little bit will float into the air.

The first time Bri walked into the kitchen with it, my mother whipped her head around so fast, until she realized who it was coming from. Her shoulders seemed to sag a bit. Xavier, who was stirring pasta sauce, excused himself.

This is hard for everyone. Not just me.

Fuck, I’ve been so selfish.

“He’s just trying tobest friendat me.” I get it, and honestlyappreciate it. I’m happy Mark protects Noah. It makes me dislike him less.

Just a little.

Those icy blue eyes never leave me as he grabs a knife, clutching it in his fist before stabbing a piece of garlic bread and putting it onto a plate. Hunter stops to look at him. “Can you calm down?”

‘What?” Mark blinks innocently, pulling his glare away from me for the first time. “Just grabbing bread.” Eyes back on me he grabs the slice, biting it aggressively.

“For fuck’s sake—” Hunter steeples his fingers.

“So.” Mom looks between us. “Are we going to talk about what we aren’t talking about?” Mark looks at Mom before glaring at me. “I may be old but my ears and eyes work just fine, thank you. No judgments. I just want to know what’s going on and why that sweet boy isn’t here, and why he isn’t himself at work lately.”

All eyes go to me.

Fuck.

I guess this is my time to shine. “We... broke up,” I say softly. “Well, it’s... I mean, I—”

“Jamie hurt him. You gutted him, you—”

“Enough!” Hunter yells. “Sorry, Lia.”

She sighs deeply. “What did you do, Jamie?”

“I um . . . I uh—”

Hunter interrupts me. “When Jamie went up to the lake house he saw Ari.” That makes her eyes widen. “She lashed out and said some hateful shit to him because like all of us, Jamie, she’s hurting too. It’s easy to call her names and whatever, but she lost her sister, and unlike all of us she doesn’t have a community of people to fall back on. What she said was wrong, but I get it. I understand it.” Psychology majors.Whatever. “After that, Jamie did what Jamie does... hurt the people around him. He said something really awful to him, and hurt him really bad. Noahdidn’t even know about the accident, and if your son wasn’t such a stubborn asshole he could simply have told him. Noah would have been there for him, but Jamie has the emotional intelligence of a fucking pea. Jamie apologized—he didn’t mean what he said. Noah knows he didn’t mean it but the damage is done. You can’t hurt people just because you’re hurt and scared. It’s not right. We’re all honestly sick of it.” Xavi and Bri nod. I think I see my mother look down at her napkin. “Noah doesn’t know if this is going to work, because while he’s always been open and honest, you lash out at him each time shit frightens you. That’s not fair to him. To any of us, honestly.”

“Yeah!” Mark snaps.

“And you—” Hunter’s eyes darken on his boyfriend. “Your friend is a grown adult. He can fend for himself. I’m all for helping our friends, but you handle him with kid gloves instead of giving him tough but necessary love. He’s not a child. He’s a spoiled brat who is now learning he can’t just mold himself to get his own way—”

“Hunter!”

“I’m not done.” Hunter sits now, turning his body to Mark. “I like Noah, I do, but we’ve been waiting for years to move in together, and the second Noah needs something you forget everything we planned. I’m sorry, but he’s at fault here too. Noah changes and molds himself into whatever he thinks he needs to be, to make the person he wants want him back. Jamie didn’t want a relationship. I don’t even think he was ready. Sorry,” he says to me. “Instead of listening, he pushed and pretended he didn’t either, when that’s probably the one thing Noah wants most. All because he liked Jamie. He needs to learn.” He throws a hand in my direction. “What Jamie did was shitty, but Noah knew Jamie didn’t want to be with him, and still he pushed.”

Hunter’s words chip away at any piece of hope I held. While some of that may be true, it isn’t right. Not really. Wanting Noahwas never the issue. I’m just scared. From the beginning, there’s been this pull toward him I just can’t explain. Maybe it was never meant to be. This thing with Noah was scary and sweet and so fucking good. I’d give anything to go back there. Hunter’s right, though, I wasn’t ready then. But I’m sure as fuck ready now, and I’m not giving up. As I open my mouth to say all of this a throat clears behind me.

Everyone in the room freezes, their eyes going behind me.

I turn to see Noah standing in the entrance of the dining room. “Sorry, um... you said I could just come in...” Our eyes meet briefly. “I’m um... late.”

My mother throws on a smile, clearing her throat. “I’m so glad you’re here, honey.” Walking over to him she gives him a hug. Dazed, Noah leans into it, his eyes still skimming mine. “Come, sit. We were just getting started.”

“I see that.” He laughs nervously. Choosing a spot between Bri and Mark, he sits down as Lia plates him some lasagna and bread. “So, what did I miss?”

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