Page 127 of From the Wreckage

The sight knocks the air out of me. My fist closes around them before I even think, shoving both into my pocket. Fury scorches through my veins, sharp and ice-cold, but I choke it back. Not here. Not now.

I force myself to grab a bottle of water from the fridge and school my face into a neutral expression.

When I return, Bri takes it from me with a smile, none the wiser, and takes a big gulp.

She zips her suitcase, her sunflower necklace glinting against her sweatshirt with every move.

“Almost done,” she murmurs, her gaze moving around the room before landing on mine.

“Then we’re gone,” I say, my voice steady. “And you never have to come back here again unlessyouwant to.”

She pauses, her eyes meeting mine. “You mean that?”

I step closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I mean it. You call the shots now, Bri. Not him. Not her.You.”

Her throat bobs as she swallows, and for the first time today, I see the spark of control returning to her eyes.

And I know, deep down, Joey and Meghan’s downfall has only just begun.

CHAPTER 94

Everett

Bri’s unpackingin her room, humming low under her breath, the sound faint but steady. It makes something in my chest unclench. She’s trying to reclaim her space, her life, one folded sweater at a time.

I step out onto the back deck, needing air. The night is cool, the lake black glass under the stars. The door opens behind me, and Grayson steps out, two beers in his hands. He passes me one, then leans against the railing, silent.

I reach into my pocket, pulling out the blister pack of dull green capsules. I hold them out in my palm.

He looks up at me, then back at them, his jaw tightening. “What’s that?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s what was slipped in Bri’s drink at the party. I found them in their apartment when she was packing. Kitchen counter. Right beside the fridge and a bottle of blue alcohol.” My voice is low and sharp. “Doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots.”

Grayson’s eyes darken. He takes the pack from me, turning them over in his hands. His teeth grind, muscle ticking in his jaw. For a moment, I think he’s about to hurl them into the lake.

Instead, he blows out a breath through his nose. “I know a pharmacist in town. Old friend. Let me have him take a look.”

I nod once. “Keep me posted.”

“I will.” He tucks the evidence into his jacket pocket. His voice is rough when he adds, “You did the right thing not telling her. Not yet. She’s… she’s fragile. She deserves the truth, but she deserves it when we’ve got answers.”

I stare out at the lake, my fists clenching. “When she hears it, it’ll break her all over again.”

Grayson exhales slowly, his shoulders tight, his profile carved in shadow. “Then you catch her when she falls.”

The words hit me harder than I want to admit. I nod, unable to speak, because he’s right.

Inside, Bri’s laugh carries faintly out the window, light and tentative. I’m not sure what she’s laughing at, but the sound cuts through the night like the first crack of dawn.

I grip the beer bottle until my knuckles ache.

She deserves more than the wreckage we’re standing in. And I’ll give it to her. One way or another.

The next morning,sunlight filters through the blinds, striping across Bri’s hair where it spills over the pillow. She stirs, blinking up at me with sleep-heavy eyes. For once, she doesn’t flinch awake from a nightmare.

I brush my thumb across her cheek. “Morning, angel.”

Her lips curve faintly. “Morning.”