Page 114 of From the Wreckage

Everett’s eyes widen, his whole body going rigid. “When he what?” His voice is low, deadly, vibrating with something that makes my stomach lurch.

I freeze. The air between us sharpens and cuts. The second the name left my mouth, I knew. His eyes—dark and feral—tell me he knows too.

“I didn’t—” My chest caves, panic surging. “I didn’t mean?—”

“Bri.” My name is a vow on his lips, his jaw locked so tightly I hear his teeth grind. “Tell me.”

Tears flood my vision, hot and humiliating. I shake my head, pressing my palms against my temples like I can shove the words back inside.

But it’s too late. He already knows.

And for the first time since everything between us fell apart, I see it—the flicker of fire in his eyes. The man who would burn the whole world down if it meant protecting me.

He folds his arms across his chest, brown eyes steady on mine, like he’s waiting for me to combust.

“You gonna keep hiding, Bri?” His voice is calm, yet his eyes burn with something that looks like a challenge. “Pretend nothing’s wrong? Pretend you didn’t come back from school a shell of the girl I knew?”

“Shut up.” My hands shake at my sides.

“You look wrecked. Pale. Empty.” He takes a step closer. “So either you tell me what happened, or I’ll say it for you—maybe Joey got to you again.”

The name detonates in the air.

“Don’t you dare—” The words explode out of me, sharp and broken. “Don’t you fucking dare say his name like you know what happened.”

“Then tell me,” Everett growls. “Because I swear to God, Bri, I see it all over you. He touched you, didn’t he?”

I want to stop. I want to bury it. But the second the wall cracks, the flood won’t be contained.

“Yes!”The scream tears from my throat, raw and jagged. “Yes, he did. He drugged me. He—he took everything from me, Everett.Everything!”Tears stream hot and fast, blinding me, but the words won’t stop. “And where were you? Where the hell were you? You didn’t fight for me, you didn’t stay, and when I needed you most, you weren’t there!”

My voice breaks, but the fury propels it forward. “You left me wide open for him. And now I’m ruined. Do you hear me? Ruined!”

The silence after I say those words is deafening. My chest heaves, my sobs tearing me apart. The last word rips from me like shrapnel, and then my legs give out.

But before I hit the floor, his arms close around me. Solid. Unshakable. His grip anchors me even as my world splinters.

“Don’t you say that,” he rasps, his voice breaking against my ear. “You’re not ruined, Bri. Do you hear me? You’re not.”

I sob harder, my fists weakly pounding his chest until they fall limp. His hold only tightens.

“I thought walking away was protecting you,” he goes on, the words spilling fast and desperate. “I thought it was the only way to keep you safe—from me. From ruining your relationship with your dad. But all I did was leave you wide open, and I will never forgive myself for that.”

He presses his forehead to mine, his breath ragged. “You are not broken. You aren’t dirty or ruined. You are everything good left in this world, and I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you if you let me. I swear it.”

The vow wraps around me, fierce and raw, and I break apart in his arms all over again—because for the first time since that night, I almost believe him.

His grip tightens, his voice roughening to something darker. “Joey.” He spits the name out like poison. “He’ll wish he never laid a hand on you. I’ll hunt him down, Bri. I swear to God, I’ll make him bleed for every second he stole from you. Nobody touches what’s mine and walks away breathing.”

The vow shakes the air between us, brutal and raw. For a second, it almost makes me believe him. Almost.

But then the ache claws higher, sharper. My throat burns as I lift my gaze to his, tears spilling hot and merciless.

“But I’m not yours,” I whisper, the words trembling as they cut us both. “You threw me away.”

CHAPTER 85

Everett