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I swing again and again until the world fades to the desire to cause a little more damage. Each hit gets harder, each dent deeper. I lift the sledgehammer higher and take out the sidewindow. Glass rains and with each shard hitting the ground, I feel something release.

Rage at my exes, my parents, and Connor’s treatment bubbles up until I’m grunting with every swing. Until my mind’s screaming drowns out the other noise.

More. I need more.

Crawling onto the hood, I swing for the windshield, knowing I can bash it until my arms fall off and it’ll still be intact. Still hold itself up against the onslaught. It’s a little like me, that windshield. Broken and battered, yet unable to fall apart.

The buzzer comes with a blow that cleaves a side mirror off, sending it flying through the room. Mellie whoops in glee as she kicks the remains of her own destruction around, but I don’t feel happy.

I’m empty and sad.

The sledgehammer drops to the hood, sliding until it hits the floor, but I’m stuck where I am wondering where the hell to go from here. How to fix what’s so deeply broken in me, in my life.

Maverick and Kai stood at the door, watching us collectively lose our shit like proud papas watching their ducklings destroy the world, but she comes for me now. Her energy’s softer than usual as she carefully takes off my face shield and. She runs a hand over my hair before holding it out to me.

Tears clog my throat as Kai helps me down, bundling me close and leading me to the counter where Mellie’s legs swing from her perch. Where Lacey and Maverick are already waiting.

When the workers come in, he pays for another hour and tells them to leave, but no one touches the room. They help me onto the counter next to Mel and when I’m situated, Kai breaks the silence. “Talk.”

I admit everything. The court case, the fact that I may lose Nymph, my heat.

Connor.

Through it all, Lacey holds me to her side, petting my head. Mellie clasps my hand, squeezing when she’s upset. Kai and Maverick wrap their fingers around my calf. My friends sit with me until I’ve word vomited everything.

“Is that it?” Kai asks when I’m done.

“Yes,” I croak. My throat hurts and too much crying in the last day has given me a headache, but I feel better with it all in the open. My problems are still there, but they don’t suffocate me anymore.

“Good. You’re an idiot.”

I whip toward her as Lacey makes a noise. “I don’t think you’re supposed to say that when your friends are sad.”

Kai rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t aware we coddled each other.”

“It’s not coddling if she needs a little extra support.”

“We gave her support. We gave her time. Now she needs an ass kicking.”

“I like my ass where it is,” I interrupt.

“I don’t really care what you want right now.” Kai turns to me, and her eyes pin me to the spot. “Instead of telling us what happened, you avoided us. Took on all your problems alone and shut us out.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it? You were so scared we’d disappoint you that you didn’t even give us a chance to react. We’re your friends, Daphne, and you couldn’t trust us to stay by your side.That’swhat’s unfair.”

In the years I’ve known Kai Pearce, I’ve never seen her like this. Feelings rage behind her eyes, body trembling as she fights to keep level. That sour-raspberry scent sharpened to something painfully acidic, even beyond the sweetness she uses to hide it.

I’ve hurt her. Insulted her by refusing to trust they’d have my back.

Guilt makes my stomach cramp. “I’m sorry. You invested in the storefront, and I thought you’d be upset at me for losing so much money if the case goes poorly.”

And it will.

“Business is unpredictable, but even if Nymph failed, we would’ve understood. Things don’t always pan out the way we hope. You should’ve trusted us.” That tense energy crackles around Kai until Maverick’s hand brushes her side. She sags into his embrace, looking lost and so fucking small my heart clenches.

“You’re right. I’m so sorry.” A sudden wave of emotion washes over me, and I have to blink hard to stop the tears.