Page 49 of Insidious Truths

I loved him so fucking much it hurt. But while Jace’s mind seemed to be focused solely on strategy here, he failed to grasp the real problem andwhyI was so upset.

“You went against my wishes,” I said to him, which had him blinking down at me in utter confusion. “I told you I’d handle the Xavier thing on my own time. WhenIwas ready.”

Jace closed his eyes as he heaved in a deep, powerful breath and dragged ass back to his seat. “I know you did,” he whispered, his face and eyes downcast with guilt. “I’m sorry, Kitten. I really am.”

“Sorry isn’t going to fix whatever the fuck’s waiting for me back at the academy!”

My chest painfully heaved, tears burning my eyes.

Rhett…

My poor, sweet, gentle Rhett.

I knew he was hurting. He had to be after discovering the man who’d raised him for practically his whole life was the same man who’d abandoned me.

And Phantom…

Isaac…

Fuck.

They had to be losing their fucking minds right now. Being audible witnesses to my rape was bad enough, but nowthistoo?

I had to get out of here.

I had to get to them before they fucked around and did something stupid if they hadn’t already.

“I-I gotta go.”

“What?” Jace gasped in disbelief, following behind me when I got up from the table and made way for his bedroom to fetch my socks, shoes, wallet, and the keys to Rhett’s car. Those two items were on top of Jace’s dresser. My socks and shoes were by the bed. “I know you’re mad at me, and I’m sorry, baby. I’m so, fucking sorry. Please, at least stay and eat before you—”

“I know you meant well, Jace, and I love you, okay? So, so fucking much. But you seriously have no idea what the hell you’ve done. I have to get back before Isaac, or worse, Phantom, decides to come looking for me.”

I finished sliding on my shoes, internally hissing when I stood up fast and began approaching Jace, popping a tender kiss on his lips.

“I forgive you, okay? But like it or not, I have to go and fix shit before it spirals. Promise me you’ll stay out of trouble?”

“I promise, baby,” his voice cracked. “You have the number to my burner, right?”

I nodded. “I do. I’ll reach out as soon as shit is settled.”

I cried nearly the whole drive back to the academy. Being a blubbering bitch was the last fucking thing I wanted to be at a time like this, but it was unavoidable.

They knew.

All of them did.

I’d be a fool to believe Rhett had kept this to himself, which made me even more frightened over their wellbeing than my own. I’d simultaneously pondered back and forth on the topic since my meeting with Jerimiah and had come to understand if I did break the news, it would mean I’d have to disclose how I’d obtained the information, and from whom. They wouldn’t have believed me otherwise. I wasn’t ready to do that yet. I still wasn’t. I still needed some time to process everything.

I felt like the biggest piece of shit in the world. We were already struggling to get our ducks in a row as it is. Thelastfucking thing I wanted to do was tear their universes apart.

Yeah, well, so much for fucking that. If Jace had just kept his fucking mouth shut, I wouldn’t be bawling my eyes out and on the verge of another panic attack.

My next cry turned into another pathetic sob when I pulled inside the boy’s parking lot, spotting Rhett standing near his empty spot. His battered eyes immediately darted up and when he spotted me, he shoved his phone in his back pocket. He’d been in a fight. One of his eyes was black and his lips were busted. A horrible frown marred his perfect face.

He didn’t give me time to fully park before he was at the door trying to tug it open.

“Oh, thank fuck,” he said when I finally unlocked the door, his arms engulfing me in a gentle embrace. My arms wound around his waist, holding on tight as I sniffled. “I was so worried about you.”

---