Page 58 of Frozen Flames

I completely destroyed her and Claire.

That’s what I do, I hurt people!

Henrik will hate me for hurting Gemma. My parents will be disappointed.

When she comes out, she looks like a feral animal ready to pounce on my throat if I utter a fucking word.

“Where’re you going? Gemma…let’s talk about this.” Desperation leaks from every word.

What if this pushes her over the edge?

“Now you want to talk?” It’s like she’s slapped me in the face. She’s right. I need to step back after hurting her. Her mind is probably trying to process all of it.

So I let her leave the house, hoping she’ll come back eventually.

When I turn my chair back around, I’m surrounded by the ghosts of tonight’s events. I go over my night with Claire and my fight with Gemma.

Obsessively.

And I wonder, down to my core, if it hurts so much to break Gemma’s heart because I love her or because of guilt.

I’m an asshole.

The fire is still attacking my upper body.

It feels like pain is permanently etching itself inside me and I’ll never recover. If I could move the way I used to right now, I’d be on my fucking knees.

I wheel myself to the couch and grab a pillow. I scream into it with all my might. I empty myself of years and years of frustration, knowing I’d rather punch the goddamn wall.

Instead, I punch the couch on either side of the pillow.

I keep screaming and raging for so long, I don’t even realize when I start crying too.

Claire

“Well? Do you want to talk about it? You haven’t said a word since we left,” Audrey asks me as I help clean up her room. And by “help,” I mean I’m picking up her clothes from the floor and folding her laundry while she relaxes on the bed.

We got back from Harvey’s a few hours ago.

I can’t believe I kissed him. I made him cheat on his girlfriend. I’m seriously no better than my dad.

I’m not proud of myself.

Yet.YetI can’t stop thinking about our kiss.

It’s like my mind has completely eradicated the brutal words he threw my way afterward, and all I can focus on is the beauty of our kiss. Of our lips colliding together, his hand on my jaw, his musky scent.

I’ve never been kissed like that or felt something more powerful during a kiss.

“No, Audrey, I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

I stare at my sister, who looks sad for me. I don’t want her worrying about me or telling on me. Somehow I don’t want my mom to know about my actions. I don’t think she’d be too happy, given what she’s been through herself.

I clear my throat, giving her little crumbs, knowing she might pester me all week if I don’t. “I like him, okay? There, I said it. But he has a girlfriend, like you said.”

She nods. “Yeah, I’m often right.”

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