Page 72 of Fragmented Illusions

“Fucking control it, Spencer,” he bites out. His gaze remains locked on Fallon, appearing to not even notice me, but I know better.

He knows everything about me. Inside and out.

“I could say the same to you,” I chuckle. Solomon halts his steps and I almost smack directly into his back from the abruptness of it. “What the fuck?”

“Watch it, Spence. I only have so much self-control.” His voice is low, deep, and raspy and I bite back a groan as his words slither across my freezing skin, like fire licking its way across the walls of a house its devouring from the inside out.

That’s what Sol does to me. He consumes every ounce of who I am. And I gladly let him.

I’m a part of him.

Fallon will be another.

We’ll all fit together like a three-piece puzzle—each other’s perfect match.

I peer up at him and find his eyes already locked on me. I swallow deeply and feel the lump pass through my throat and settle deep into the pit of my stomach. I hate disappointing him and right now I feel he’s disappointed.

“I’m fuckingtrying,Solomon.”

“Not hard enough.”

My eyes widen at the harshness of his words. They sting and he fucking knows they do. But before I can say anything, he’s turning back around and leaving me behind.

I stand for a few moments, staring after him as he walks briskly down the edge of the sidewalk. Fallon is a whole block ahead of us and she seems to be meandering because we’ve walked this block twice already.

She seems… lost. And not in the physical sense.

I force my feet to move and catch up with Solomon. I take a deep breath and match my stride with his, pushing his bitter anger away. I know he’s not angry with me—not truly.

He’s feeling restless. Unsure.

Things he has never felt before.

“I understand, Sol,” I tell him. I push my hands into my pockets to try to warm them up. I feel his body stiffen next to me, visibly growing more rigid.

“There’s a lot at stake here. Not only with her, but with us too. I get it.”

“She has to make the right decision.”

“She will,” I assure him because I know it’s true. She’ll choose us because she wants not only us, but what we can give her.

She’s like us in every way. She only needs to let herself accept it.

Solomon and I noticed it in her the very first night we met—Halloween. It seems so long ago now that it’s the middle of December and we are in the middle of a heavy winter storm, but if we knew it then, our intuition has only grown with every encounter we have had with her.

Shehasto be.

Suddenly, the sound of Fallon’s laughter rings out into the night. My first reaction is to dart after her, but Solomon throws his arm out to stop me. I bite my tongue in irritation, but do as I’m silently bid.

Sol and I both halt about a block away from her. She’s at the intersection of Harper and Maime avenue, hunched over and howling with laughter. I can’t help but to watch with bewildered amusement as she loses her fucking mind.

“What the fuck?” I blurt as her laughter turns into full body sobs. She shakes uncontrollably as she almost sinks into the snow she’s kneeling in. I can almost feel the wetness seeping into her clothes, and I want to run to her, throw her over my shoulder and never let her out of my sight again. Never let her bealoneagain.

“Sol,” I choke out, a weird rush of emotion coming over me. I don’t know what the fuck I’m feeling, but I don’t like it. In fact, I hate it. I never want to feel it again.

“I know,” he rasps out, his own voice sounding hoarse. I feel his gloved fingers brush mine and I squeeze his hand hard as we watch our pretty girl lose it.

At least there isn’t a soul outside right now. No one wants to be out in this weather—me included—which, I suppose, is a good thing for her right now.