Page 8 of Fractured Faceoff

Isla

Icouldn't unsee it. Every time I closed my eyes, there they were—Brody and Kristen, tangled up like two snakes. The scene replayed in my mind with brutal clarity, every sordid detail seared into my memory.

I didn't even know what had happened after that. One moment, I stood frozen in the doorway, and the next, I found myself outside. It was as if my body had moved on autopilot, steering me away from the disaster I had just witnessed. My brain hadn't caught up yet.

At least I hadn't murdered them.

Now I sat in my car, staring blankly through the windshield. The world outside looked surreal, like I was seeing it through a fogged-up lens. I wondered if this was a dream or some twisted alternate reality where everything good crumbled to pieces.

I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Time seemed to have no meaning anymore; minutes felt like hours, and hours like minutes. The numbers blinked back at me with a cold indifference.

I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there. Could'vebeen minutes, could've been days for all I cared. My phone buzzed in the cup holder beside me, but I ignored it. The thought of talking to anyone right now felt unbearable.

Kristen's laugh echoed in my ears—sweet, innocent on the surface but now laced with betrayal. Brody's voice mingled with hers, casual and intimate in a way that made my stomach churn. How long had this been going on? How had I not seen it?

No, I had seen it.

I had.

But Brody insisted I was crazy, even though I saw the way she looked at him.

I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. I needed to do something—anything—to break free from this paralysis. But all I could do was sit there and let the numbness seep into my bones.

A knock on the window jolted me back to reality. My heart raced as I turned to see a concerned stranger peering in.

"You all right?" he mouthed through the glass.

I nodded stiffly, managing to muster a weak smile. He hesitated before walking away, probably convinced I'd lost my mind.

Maybe he wasn't wrong.

Tears pricked my eyes, threatening to spill over. I wiped at them furiously, hating how vulnerable I felt.

I couldn't go back there. Not after what I'd seen. All my stuff was there, but I didn't care. I could replace clothes and toothbrushes. What I couldn't replace was my dignity.

The Chinese food, too. That was probably my biggest regret. I debated going back for it, but the thought of facing them again twisted my stomach into knots.

No way in hell.

I had to go somewhere, anywhere but there. My mind raced through the possibilities, each one seeming less viable than the last. I considered calling Ava, but she and Kash were already dealing with their own issues. Me showing up with my baggage would only add to their problems.

Where was I supposed to go?

I glanced at my phone again, the screen dark and silent in the cup holder. My hands trembled as I gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying to steady myself. The world outside continued on as if nothing had happened—cars zoomed by, people walked their dogs, life moved forward. But for me, everything had come to a screeching halt.

I needed to move, needed to do something other than sit here wallowing in self-pity. Taking a deep breath, I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot without any clear destination in mind. Just driving felt like a small act of defiance against the chaos swirling inside me.

As I drove aimlessly through the city streets, memories of happier times with Brody flashed before my eyes—our first date at that little Italian place downtown, lazy Sunday mornings spent curled up on the couch watching movies, whispered conversations late into the night when everything felt possible.

All lies.

My chest tightened as I forced those thoughts away. This wasn't about nostalgia or what could have been; it was about survival now. And I couldn't survive by clinging to a past that no longer existed.

Eventually, I found myself pulling into an empty parking lot near a small park. The place was deserted except for a few scattered trees swaying gently in thebreeze. It wasn't much, but it offered a momentary refuge from the storm raging inside me.

I parked and turned off the engine, leaning back in my seat as a fresh wave of tears threatened to spill over again.

Why? The question gnawed at my insides, relentless and unforgiving. Why would Brody do this? Wasn't I a good girlfriend? I replayed our moments together, searching for clues, red flags, anything that could explain his betrayal.

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