Page 15 of Petals of Blue: Part One
"Blue?" Pissed off and perplexed, Declan demands answers. "Erica, what the fuck is going on?"
There's something utterly soul crushing about hearing my name come from Declan's mouth. With Felix, it was easy to snap at him, but with Declan, all I feel is so much hurt I can barely breathe.
"Erica, baby..." Jared murmurs as his hand lifts toward me. "Your hair..."
Just like that, the deep sadness I felt because of Declan, turns into hysteria. A laugh bursts from my throat without warning.How dare he comment on my hair like it fucking offended him?
Old ladies with zero creativity can scoff all they want at my choice of style, but this asshole? He's lost all right to even fuckinglookat me.
"Get out." My voice is strong and steady. I'm coaxing the broken parts of me back into their safe places.I'll let them out once I'm alone.
Both Jared and Declan frown at my demand. "What?" they question in unison.
"I said,get out."
They don't move except for the twitch of their jaws. These damn idiots still seem lost. I'll spell it out for them then.
Straightening my spine and lifting my chin, I allow my resilience to take over. In a fuzzy haze of trying to keep my heartbreak at bay and zoning out their masculine features, I make it so they won't have any question of where we stand.
"I don't want to see you, hear you, speak to you, let alonetouchyou ever again. Feel free to pass the message to the other two as well. If you're here to stay, I'll find a different studio, because unlike some people, I wouldn't be so heartless as to keep you away from family."
Nichole gasps, and my heart thumps an extra sad beat. "Blue, you don't have to?—"
"I do," I cut her off. "He's your brother, but I willnotassociate myself and V with their brand of cruelty."
"Now wait a fucking second!" Declan snaps, pointing a finger at me like I'm a damn child.
Levi's quick to shut that shit down. "Don't fucking point at her."
To Nichole, I tell her in words she might understand. "I won't subject myself or Violet to the men who left me alone with my aunt."
Tears fill Nichole's eyes, and her hand flies to her mouth. Rounding on Jared, she stares at him as if he's a stranger. "That wasyou?"
I'm stingy with information and tend to avoid offering details. Names were never provided. She would never have known because there's a dark part of me I refuse to share with everyone.
Nichole and I didn't realize our connection until I saw her run into her brother’s arms. Watching her put the pieces of my trauma together and realizing the turning point in my life could have been much better if her brother and his friends had been there for me is upsetting.
I don't want to hurt my friend, and that's not my intention. I need her to let me go. Nichole is a spitfire and will do everything she can to keep me coming back here. I hope now she might cut me some slack.
Pressure on my bicep brings me one step closer to breaking. Levi leans down and catches my eye. "You okay? You zoned out."
I nod, but my eyes tell him no. He understands me immediately—I need to leave.
"Nichole, we're leaving. Don't let those two follow us out." With that, Levi wraps an arm around my waist and guides me to the door.
Jared and Declan protest, but they sound muffled behind the anguish building in my body.
I'm about to break, please just don't let it be in front of them.
"Violet's calling me," Levi says as we approach the glass door. I don't realize what he's doing until he answers it on speakerphone.
My girl's twinkly voice comes through the speakers, loudly. "Are you with Mama?"
"Yeah, kiddo. She's right here," Levi answers, then hands the phone to me so he can open the studio door and keep an arm around me.
I follow him outside, unaware of the chaos we're leaving in our wake.
Ten
