Page 6 of Beautifully Broken
My world stops spinning. My heart stops beating, and everything comes to a crashing halt as my eyes fly open. A blinding headache hits me like a freight train as my eyes adjust to the bright fluorescent lights, but I don’t care. All I see are the soulless eyes of the man who left me to be used as a pawn all those years ago.
Blinding hot rage hits me and it's as if I forget all the pain and fatigue coursing through my body as I sit up and drive my fist into his face.
Ezra James Mathews was the beginning of my downfall into hell. I hate him. No, I despise him. No, I want to shatter him into a million pieces and make him pay for leaving me with a monster and his goons.
My fist aches, but I don’t care. I draw my arm back and punch him again, this time in the nose.
I wait for him to yell or scream or to wipe the blood pouring from his nose, but he doesn’t. Instead, a sly, devilish grin spreads across his face.
“Welcome back, Ivy. Did you miss me?”
Chapter 4
Ezra
Blood.
That's all I see as I look down at my precious Ivy and I can’t help but smile.
Her dark green eyes look as if she wants to commit murder against a ghost, and I can’t seem to feel anything but pride because that means I was successful.
Should I have waited until she was released from the hospital to make my grand entrance? Yes. But the moment I heard she had copious amounts of drugs in her system, all I saw was red.
And now that she’s awake, that's still all I see, but not for the same reason I did hours ago.
The moment her eyes locked with mine and her fist connected with my face, anger was the last emotion coursing through my body. It was pride that she finally used the power I have always seen inside her, shining bright and prevalent.
As another drop of blood from my nose lands on her pale white skin, I make no move to step away. Instead, I stand there, allowing the proof of her vengeance for my wrongdoings a decade ago to continue dripping off my face.
Blaire’s fist raises again and without breaking her gaze, my hand moves to hers, holding it against the bed. “I think you’ve more than proven your point, Ivy. How about you open that beautiful mouth of yours and speak?”
Her brows furrow as she tries to slide her arm from beneath mine, but I don’t let her. “Let go of me, Ezra.”
A chill runs down my spine at the sound of my name in her melodic voice.
Yes, I am fucking obsessed with the beautiful, blonde-haired, green-eyed keeper of my black soul. I don’t care.
“Not a chance. Now, would you like to try to use your words?”
I wait, my hand still resting on her arm, but when she says nothing, I reach my leg back and drag the chair behind me to sit down.
“Okay. That’s fine. I’ll do all the talking.” Keeping one tattooed hand on her arm, my other rubbing my chin, I sigh and continue. “Let's start with, hello, my dear Ivy. I know you’ve missed me and you’re probably wondering why I am showing my face after all these years, but that isn’t important. I just have a few questions for you, and if you answer them, I will answer every one of yours.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but I put my finger up and stop her. “Don’t. I can see the sass and attitude coming from a mile away. I am not the man you once knew. I’ve seen things that would make your heart stop beating in terror. And I know you want answers as to why I disappeared, but I cannot give them to you until you answer mine.”
I wait for the retort, but it doesn’t come. Instead, an expression that breaks my cold heart hits me like a fucking bullet and all I want to do is take her into my arms. But I can’t. Not yet.
Do not let her see the true you. It's not safe. Not yet. Not until you know.
“Ezra. W-What are you doing here?”
Blaire’s voice cracks. A tear that I don’t think she notices falls down her face, and my vision turns murderous.
I hurt her. I left her. Someone hurt her because I wasn’t there to protect her.
I allow myself a moment to feel every emotion in her pained voice. But only for a second. I cannot let myself go down that long, dark path. Now is not the time to break right when she needs me the most. Even if she doesn’t feel the same way…yet.
“Ivy—”
