Page 191 of On a Fault Line

“What happened to you?” I choke out. I already know but I want to hear his words anyway. It guts me to see him like this, and deep down, I know it’s because of me.

We may have crossed a line nearly one hundred days ago, but my brothers crossed one today.

“I’ll be okay.”

Turning my body, I glare at Graham. “You did this to him? You beat up Collins?”

“Yes.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? And why are you being so matter-of-fact about it?”

“It’s over, Penny,” he bites out. “Grab your things and let’s go.”

Crossing my arms, I hold my ground. “No.”

“Yes!” Nic bellows.

And to think he’s typically the calm one out of the two.

“No!” I challenge. “I’m not going anywhere without Collins.”

“Let me have a chat with Penny,” Collins says solemnly.

I hate seeing him this broken. I hate that our entire relationship is blowing up before our eyes.

Graham pushes hair off his forehead. “Fine.”

“Gee, thanks,” I mumble under my breath. “How generous.”

My entryway clears out, leaving me standing face-to-face with the man I have fallen head over fucking heels for in less than one hundred days.

“Penny…”

“Can I get you some ice?”

I don’t wait for an answer and walk into the kitchen to busy myself with making an ice pack out of a resealable bag and some cubes. I then take the bag and wrap it in a clean dish towel, to keep him from getting frostbite.

“I can’t believe my brother beat you up.”

I hand him the pack, but he just places it down onto the counter.

“We need to talk.”

“I’m so sorry you are in this position.”

“This isn’t your fault.”

“Both Graham and Nic just need to calm the fuck down and then they’ll understand that we belong together.”

His look of indifference is a vise around my heart, depriving my entire body of the air that once gave me life.

It’s his silence that makes me squeeze my fingers inward, pressing tightly into my palms—so tight that I’d be surprised if I didn’t leave marks.

I don’t need him to talk, when I already know what’s going to happen next.

I feel it.

It’s like a cold front blowing through in a storm that is about to destroy all hopes for my future.

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