Page 15 of Until You Break

I close my laptop, giving up on work for the moment, and lean back in my chair, letting my gaze drift to the window.

For years, I’ve carried him with me, every step, every decision I’ve made shaped by the time we spent in that cell. It’s like I left a part of myself behind with him, a part I know I’ll never get back.

And no matter how much I try to move forward, to build something new with Mason, I can’t shake the feeling that I lost something essential in those dark, cold walls.

Chapter nine

His Sinner

I wake to thegentle shake of Mason’s hand on my shoulder, his voice low and soft in my ear. “Aria… hey, I have to go soon. Conference starts tonight, remember?”

I blink, squinting up at him as the morning light filters through the curtains, soft and gray. His face hovers above me, a warm smile spreads as he strokes my hair back. He’s already dressed, a bag slung over his shoulder, ready to head out for the week.

“Right,” I mumble, my voice thick with sleep. “The doctor thing.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Yes, the doctor thing. Five days of lectures, medical panels, networking. Try not to miss me too much, alright?”

I reach up, pulling him down to me, pressing a sleepy kiss to his lips. He tastes faintly of coffee, his breath warm against my skin.

“I’ll try not to, but you know I’m hopeless without you around,” I tease, though there’s a truth in it that I don’t sayout loud. Mason is my balance, my steady ground. The one who anchors me, even when everything else feels like it’s slipping away.

“Don’t go burning down the place,” he murmurs against my lips, giving me one last kiss before he pulls back. “I’ll call you when I land, okay?”

I nod, managing a small smile as he stands, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “Have a safe trip. Don’t get too charmed by the medical bigwigs.”

He grins, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’ll do my best. Try to enjoy a little peace and quiet without me.”

“Bye, Mason,” I say, a faint laugh escaping despite myself.

“Bye, love,” he says, pausing at the door, giving me one last look before he’s gone.

I hear the soft click of the door closing, and then silence settles around me, the kind of quiet that seems to fill the whole cabin, making every shadow feel a little deeper. I lie there for a few minutes, letting the warmth of the blankets cocoon me, drifting back into sleep before I have the energy to get up.

When I finally drag myself out of bed, it’s past mid-morning. The light through the windows is bright now, spilling across the worn wood floors. I shuffle downstairs, yawning as I make my way to the kitchen, my mind still thick with sleep.

I reach for the coffee pot, my hand pausing mid-air when I see it—a single sunflower, sitting alone on the counter. Its bright, golden petals stretch toward the ceiling, standing out in the quiet, muted tones of the room.

I blink, rubbing my eyes, half-convinced I’m still dreaming. There’s no note, no sign of how it got there. Just the flower, leaning slightly in a small glass of water, its wide face turned toward me as if waiting.

My stomach clenches and a chill runs through me despite the warmth of the cabin. Mason wouldn’t have left this; it’s not hisstyle. Flowers are a small, quiet gesture, not his way of saying goodbye. He’s never been one for surprises, either. It’s part of why I love him—his consistency and predictability.

And he left early, with barely a minute to spare. There’s no way he would have come back in to leave this behind. I step closer, reaching out to brush my fingers over one of the petals, soft and delicate, like it might fall apart if I press too hard.

Sunflowers. Dominic’s favorite flower.

I swallow, my mind spinning back to the memories I’ve tried so hard to push away, the words he’d whispered, the look in his eyes as he urged me to run.

“Dominic, please don’t make me do this…”

“If you ever cared about me… even just a little, you’ll go and you’ll live that life. Just… let me go out knowing I did one good thing. Okay, Little Sinner? Promise me you’ll live.”

“I… I promise.”

“Good girl. Now go. Run.”

A million questions tumble through my mind. Who would leave this? Why? There’s no one who knows that part of me, no one who would know what this flower means, except…

I pull my hand back, as if burned, my pulse quickening. It doesn’t make sense. Dominic couldn’t have left it. He’s gone—taken from me the night I escaped, his blood staining my hands, his last words urging me to live the life he couldn’t.

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