Page 7 of Beautifully Broken
Her nose scrunches and her lips purse. “My name is Blaire.”
That damn attitude.
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken. You are and will always be Ivy to me.”
Blaire sits up straight, and I allow her to have control of her arm again. And because I am a glutton for the consequences of my own actions, I move my hand to rest on her blanket-covered leg. The carnal urge to touch her overwhelms every sense of my being.
Her gaze darts down to my hand and I think she is going to push me away, but she doesn’t.
Tilting her head back, I can see exhaustion threatening to consume her fragile body, but I don’t focus on that too long when I see scarring around her neck.
What the fuck?
I am about to ask when her head tilts back down, her murderous glare meeting mine.
Slow. Do not scare her. She will only make this transition harder if you are a demanding asshole, Ezra.
“I have no idea what the hell happened when everything went black. I have a million questions. And not caring if I sound like the biggest bitch alive, I don’t have time for this. You left me after promising me you would get me out of that hellhole. You left me alone with Carson who—” She cuts herself off and takes a deep breath.
Continue the sentence, Ivy. Tell me what that waste of space piece of shit did. His death will already be a slow, demonic burn, because there is no limit to darkness when you are already bathed in pitch black.
I sit up in the chair and lean into her space, her eyes never leaving mine as if she needs to track every moment.
Shaking her head, she looks over my shoulder for a moment, lost in thought, before returning her attention to me. Her expression, unbothered and emotionless. “Nevermind. I’m not going there, but it doesn’t matter. What does matter is you either tell me why you are here and stop acting like you are running the show. Or get out. I didn’t leave for a decade.Youdid. You should be the one groveling on your knees, not making demands.”
A smirk spreads across my face as my mind wanders to places highly inappropriate for this setting. Not that I would care. If I want to fuck the girl who has never left my mind for a single second, I goddamn will. No matter the time or location.
Except right now is not the time or location,dumbass.
“Ivy—”
“Blaire.”
My hand squeezes her knee and she jumps. “Ivy. I promise I will explain everything, but not here. Now stop being a damn brat and let me ask you a few questions so we can get the hell out of here.”
A laugh escapes her and it's anything but comical. Her hands move to her dirty blonde hair, adjusting the messy knot atop her head. “Did you hit your head somewhere along the way between here and reality? Because you must be concussed if you think I am going anywhere with you.”
She mutters something under her breath, but I don’t catch it. I don’t need to because, within seconds, I’m inches from her face, my hand moving to cup her jaw.
My thumb brushes against her cheek as her eyes go wide. “Ivy. I will say this once and only once. I left you and that will forever be my greatest regret, but I will spend the rest of eternity making it up to you. Because once upon a broken road, you infiltrated my heart and wrapped ivy tightly around it. You are mine Blaire “Ivy” Wilson, and it’s time I show you what a life of protection and happiness looks like.”
As the words leave my mouth, her lashes flutter against mine. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself, and I press a gentle kiss to her lips.
I’m so sorry I left, baby. If I could have stayed, I would have. But the devil inside my veins called to me in a way that fried every cell in my brain, taking away every ounce of rational thinking.
I desperately want to say the words right on the edge of my tongue. But I can’t. Not without letting my guilt and grief consume me, making me vulnerable and unable to keep my girl safe.
The silence and peace are soon interrupted when the door swings open, slamming against the wall, and Blaire goes limp.
Monitors scream and nurses come flying in, only to skid to a halt when they see a man pointing a gun in my direction.
Subtly, I shift my body to cover Ivy and smile at the intruder who dares to interrupt this beautiful reunion. “Hello Tank. It’s not a pleasure to see your ugly face. How can I help you die today?” A laugh escapes me, and I continue, “Sorry, I meant to say goodbye.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I draw my gun out of the back of my pants and aim the barrel in his direction, not wasting a second before sending the bullet flying straight in between his eyes.
His body hits the ground with a thud as nurses scream in the background. But I can’t be bothered.
Turning my attention back to an unconscious Blaire, I yell, “DOC. Get your ass in here and save my girl before your nurses will need two body bags instead of one!”
