Page 39 of From the Wreckage
Dad studies me, his hazel eyes softening as he reads the truth in my face. He nods, relief slipping through his shoulders. “Good. You deserve better than some cocky boy who doesn’t know how to treat you.” His voice drops, rough with emotion. “Damn near lost it when I found out he grabbed you.”
I force a small smile because I can’t stand seeing the guilt in his eyes. “It’s okay, Dad. Really.”
We eat in silence for a minute before he clears his throat. “There’s something else.”
My stomach dips, panic making my pulse race. “What is it?”
“I heard back from the insurance company about your car.”
I exhale slightly, relieved he didn’t find out about Everett and me on the dock last night.
But then my mind focuses on the other problem. I set my fork down, dread prickling. “And?”
His face pinches with regret. “The appraiser says the frame’s bent. It’s totaled.”
The word hits like a punch. My throat tightens, tears prickling my eyes before I can stop them. I press my hand to my forehead, fingers brushing the scab there, and reality sinks in. My car—the one Dad worked so hard to get me, the one I loved—is gone.
“Hey.” Dad’s voice softens. He covers my hand with his, grounding me. “Listen to me, kiddo. It’s just a car. You walked away from that accident. That’s what matters.”
“I know,” I whisper, though my chest still aches.
“The insurance company’s paying the cash value,” he continues. “Minus the deductible. We’ll use that, find you something safe and solid.” His thumb rubs slow circles over my knuckles. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”
Tears spill over, but I nod, grateful for him. “Okay.”
I believe him. It’s always been Dad and me, figuring it out together. Always.
But as much as I try to focus on the car, my mind betrays me, drifting not to the accident itself but to what came after. Everett’s hands steadying me. His voice anchoring me. The way he looked at me like I was the only thing in the world.
Why does safety feel like him?
I should’ve felt safe with Joey—the golden boy quarterback with the perfect smile and polished charm. That’s what everyone else saw. What I thought I saw.
But last night ripped the mask off. Underneath the shine, he’s cold. Controlling. A stranger.
And Everett—dark, brooding Everett—made me feel more secure in a handful of stolen moments than Joey ever did in months of dating me.
I don’t know what that says about me.
Maybe it’s crazy.
Maybe it’s dangerous.
And maybe that’s the scariest part of all.
CHAPTER 28
Everett
Sleep is useless.
I’ve been pacing the length of my cabin since dawn, replaying every second of last night until the memories ache. The feel of her lips against mine. The way she whispered “I’m yours” like it was the truest thing she’d ever spoken.
Itterrifiesme. I don’t lose control like this—not anymore. I built walls around myself brick by brick, years of mistakes culminating into the trauma that unfolded, altering my life and teaching me what happens when you let someone in.
But Brielle… she slipped right through the cracks.
And now I can’t stop. Can’t stop seeing her. Can’t stopneedingher.
