Page 49 of Stormbringer (Tracthesian Academy #1)

J arred carried Wayla upstairs and into his room. She was uncharacteristically silent and biting her lip. After a moment, she sighed.

“Well, it was bound to blow up in my face at some point.”

“What was?”

“My delusions about being able to have a relationship. Even a fake one.”

Jarred froze just as he was about to set her down on the bed. That sounded bad. That sounded final. Not like a little dust-up downstairs, but like she was over it.

“Wayla,” he hesitated. She turned her face up to meet his gaze and smiled sadly.

“Jarred,” she replied.

“What are you saying?”

Wayla closed her eyes and when she opened them again, the look in her eyes was calm, cold, and detached. Jarred had never seen her look like that.

“I’m saying they were right.”

“Fuck no,” he snarled.

“Yes, Jarred. I’m exactly what they said I am.”

“And what is that,” he snarled. “Say it.”

“I’m a liar,” Wayla said easily, “unreliable and a cheater. I don’t know who Hellion thinks sent me, but he’s not wrong about Risha. Being with me is causing strife with the rest of you. I’m the weak link in the chain.”

“Stop that!” Jarred shouted. He dropped Wayla to the bed, and she bounced once before sitting up.

Every line of her body screamed fatigue, but she didn’t complain, didn’t utter a word of protest about the way she had been blasted downstairs.

She quietly got up to her feet and then reached for her wrist. Unclasping the jaguar bracelet, she held it out to him.

“This belongs to you.”

“No.” Jarred shook his head and backed away from her. “That was a gift. I’m not taking it back.”

Wayla laid the bracelet on his nightstand. “I can’t keep it, Jarred. I’m not the woman you thought I was when you gave it to me.”

“Why-why are you doing this, Wayla? I know you are not sleeping with Salis or Risha, no matter what those two idiots claim. I see how you look at us. It’s not fake, none of it.”

“Oh, pet.” Now there were tears in her eyes, but she held them back with furious blinking. “I wish things could be different, but it’s better this way. One more mark on the bedpost, people will forget soon. Hit it and quit it, right? That’s the Powerhouse way.”

“What the ever-loving-fuck are you talking about?” Jarred couldn’t keep up. It almost seemed like Wayla couldn’t either.

“I’m saying, that no one will bat an eye for the lot of you dumping my unimportant ass, if you all do it at once.”

“I’m not… they are not…”

“Yes, you are, and they definitely are. It’s over, Jarred, for all of us, and it’s better that way.”

“No, it’s not.” Now it was pure panic that was clawing up Jarred’s throat. Wayla stepped in and wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m so, so sorry, pet. I never should have agreed to any of this to begin with. I hate that this, anything I do, is hurting you.”

Jarred clung to Wayla in return, shaking his head from side to side. “No. No, no, no . I refuse to let this be it. This makes no sense!”

Wayla rose to her tiptoes and kissed his lips gently. It was the softest, saddest kiss ever, and it crumbled Jarred’s heart. He clutched her to him tighter.

“ Let me go ,” Wayla whispered against his lips softly. Jarred was unable to move when she pulled away and walked out the door. He stood frozen in place until the front door slammed shut, but even then, he couldn’t move to follow after her. Even his jaguar was silent when the tears started falling.