Page 117 of Reckless

Jamie reaches again for me, his hulking figure something straight from my nightmares, and I stumble for mycar.

I have to get away before he does something worse than pushme.

I need the one person who’s always had myback.

Mysister.

52

Tori

“Does it hurt?”Kat’s sweet voice washes overme.

I’m too weary to sugarcoat it tonight. “Yeah.” My sister looks weepy as she stares at the angry purple bruises painting both of my biceps. I don’t tell her about the one on my ass. “But I’m okay.” Physically, atleast.

I’m sprawled out on the couch in her living room, and Brady is pacing back and forth in front of us. “That goddamn asshole. I’m gonna rip his arms off his fuckingbody.”

Brady didn’t take any of this well, especially not the part where Jamie picked me up and physically threw me out of thehouse.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but you will do no such thing.” I motion to Kat’s enormous belly. “Stork alert. We got a baby about to land over here. You ending up in jail is not the way to kick things off. And we both know you’re the one who bailsmeout. Not the other wayaround.”

Neither of us laugh at my lame joke. I have to keep Brady out of trouble, though. He’s been there for me too many times over the years to let him get tangled up in mymess.

The mention of babies has me thinking about Cody, and I blink back the heat in my eyes. I hope he’s okay. That whatever happened tonight wasn’t tooserious.

“Have you called Ethan?” my sisterasks.

I shake my head, hot tears stinging my cheeks. The truth is I’ve been too scared to call. I know I should be brave, but I’m tired. So fucking tired. I don’t have the heart to chase after Ethan. I’ve laid it on the line, and if he wants me, he knows where to findme.

But he doesn’tcall.

My phone sits still on the coffee table, its black screen tauntingme.

Eventually, I stop checkingit.

Kat lets me cry on her shoulder, and tonight I don’t holdback.

Tonight, it’s a dark torrent, this love. Full and unyielding. Crashing through me and carving out the last tender parts of myheart.

I let itcut.

Because when it’s done, I won’twallow.

I won’t let myself fall apart over anotherman.

Notagain.

Notever.

With a final clickof the mouse, I force myself to smile.This is good, I remind myself. It doesn’t matter that I feel like death because I’m moving forward. I’ve registered for my classes this fall, and that’spositive.

Yes, I’m utterly heartbroken that Ethan and I are probably over, and while I’d love to curl up in a ball for the next week and eat my weight in ice cream, I won’t let myself go thatroute.

Ignoring my swollen, itchy eyes, I set Kat’s laptop on the kitchen table and reach for her hand. “Thanks,” I whisper. “Foreverything.”

“Anytime. I meanthat.”

She looks exhausted, and I feel guilty for bawling all over her last night, but that’s what sisters are for, right? “I know you do. That’s why you’re my favoritesister.”

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