Page 11 of My Everything

Wake up.

She didn’t.

I shook her, gripping her shoulders so tight it left bruises, but goddammit, she wasn’t moving. “Look at me,” I demanded. “Open your fucking eyes!” My voice rose with each chilling squeeze of my heart, and before I knew it, I was shouting, shaking her in a desperate attempt to bring her back.

“Wake the fuck up! Julie!”

She stirred, a low groan escaping her lips. Her eyes fluttered open. “Who’s Julie?” she whispered, and the relief-mixed pain broke something in me. I shot to my feet, intending to flee the room, but only made it to the door before I couldn’t go on. I couldn’t leave her there. I couldn’t fucking leave. With a scream, I slammed a fist into the wall and cursed out loud as the pain flared through my knuckles. Then I did it again, and again until I had no energy and blood coated my hand. Falling forward, palms up against the wall, I sucked in air that suddenly felt too thick to breathe.

A hand on my back made me tense, momentarily forgetting the struggle to stay ahead of the fucking memories that tried to drag me down.

“Marc?” she whispered. “Come on. Sit.” Her hand slid to my arm, and I yanked it off.

“I don’t need to sit!”

She flinched from my shouting but didn’t give up. “You do,” she insisted. “You’re supposed to be taking care of me, remember?” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bed. I followed, letting her push me down, and sat staring at our joined hands.

Weak images of a time lost flashed through my head, making the anger flare inside. I pulled my hand free, shooting her a cold look as she tried to reach for me a second time. “Don’t.”

She nodded, eyeing me with caution before daring to repeat. “Who’s Julie?”

The name stabbed through my heart like a blade, forcing me to look away from her searching gaze.

“You can tell me. Is she your girlfriend?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend!” I snapped.

“But you had?” she probed. “What happened to her?”

I clenched my jaw so tight it hurt. If she asked one more question… Couldn’t she take a fucking hint? Was my tone not enough for her to leave it the fuck alone? Or my punching a hole in the goddamn wall? What else did she need?

“I just want to—”

I shot to my feet, stood glaring at her, and tried not to explode. She reached for me, and I lost it.

I shoved her back onto the bed, then pushed off her and ran. Slamming the door with a force that shook the room, I stormed through the corridor, pushing past the startled young man and back to the car.

Once inside, I collapsed. Falling forward, I gripped the wheel while my forehead pressed against it and suppressed pain shook my body.

I refused to cry. I didn’t shed a tear then, and I’d be damned if I did now. Years later, it was supposed to be dead and buried, along with her. Withthem. I didn’t need Kaylie to bring it all back. I didn’t needKaylie—

Fuck!She was alone in there. My fucking responsibility. Forcing myself to get my shit together, I left the car and found her sitting in the exact same position I left her in.

She looked up, a small hesitant smile on her lips even after my shouting at her. After shoving her.Don’t do that.I screamed inside. Don’t fucking smile at me.I don’t deserve it.

Something in me clenched. Pain. Grief. Regret. And it wasn’t all Julie. My eyes narrowed at Kaylie. It washer.

“You don’t get to do this to me,” I snarled, and her eyes widened in alarm.

“Do—do what?”

I didn’t know. It didn’t fucking matter. Her mere presence was more than I could stand. Yet I had no choice.

“What’s wrong with you?” I forced myself to lower my voice, emphasizing each syllable. “Why the fuck do you keep fainting?” I took a step closer. “Why are you so damn tired?” One more step, gaze locking on her. “Are you pregnant?”

Her ocean eyes widened. “What? NO!”

Mine narrowed. “Don’t fucking lie.”

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