Page 46 of The Destruction You Desire

I've already put enough stress on her the past few weeks, this really is the last thing she needs right now. All I can do is pray that Libby pulls through this.

She has to.

Peyton can't lose anyone else. She just can't. It's not fair. Not while the man who caused all this walks around like he still owns the fucking world.

My free hand clenches in anger.

I haven’t attempted to speak to him since I discovered that everything Peyton told me that day five years ago was true. I have no idea what I'd ever say to him. No words could ever be strong enough to really make him understand how little he means to me now and how disgusted I am with him.

He's fucking scum. The kind who doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as us.

I hate that all of this has gone on while his celebrity status and public image remain untarnished. It's wrong. Totally fucking wrong.

I vow there and then to do something about it the second all this shit has settled down with Peyton.

I'll speak to Mom, find out what she knows, and we'll somehow find a way to ruin him—to destroy him. It's the least of what he deserves.

"Peyton, we're about to land, baby."

Her eyes flutter open at my words and she looks over at me.

For the briefest of seconds, she looks happy to see me. It makes my heart hurt because I know that momentarily, she's going to remember everything I've done and the hate and disappointment I've become used to seeing in her silver eyes over the past few weeks is going to emerge.

"Shit, are we here?" she asks, distracting me.

"Yeah, we are."

Seeing as we only have our carry-ons, we're outside Hartsfield and heading toward a taxi in only minutes.

"St. Thomas Hospital," I tell the driver before helping Peyton inside who looks about two seconds away from running away from this whole situation.

I totally understand it. Leon's only ever managed to break an arm once when we were kids but that whole experience with him being in the hospital traumatized me for a long time. I can only imagine how Peyton feels right now knowing that Libby is in critical condition.

The second I'm in the car, I pull Peyton into my side and hold her tight, hoping like hell that she will feel some kind of comfort in my touch.

She says nothing the whole journey to the hospital but I feel her tensing up the closer we get. She noticeably trembles when we see the first sign.

Dropping my lips to her ear, I whisper, "Everything is going to be fine."

"But what if it's not? What then?"

"You'll get through it. We'll get through it."

She twists in her seat and looks up at me. Her sad silver eyes staring up into mine before they very briefly drop to my lips.

Everything around us vanishes as I wait with bated breath stuck in my throat for what she's going to do next.

I want her to kiss me more than I want anything else in the world right now but I know it would be wrong to even allow her to do it.

I force myself to remember all the reasons she hates me, and why in reality, Leon, or even Letty, should have been the one to make this journey with her. Not that I'd have ever let them, but I shouldn't get this privilege after everything that's happened.

"Here you go, kids," the driver announces, bringing the car to a stop and breaking the moment between us.

Peyton jumps away from me as if she's been burned before climbing from the car.

"Thanks, man."

I pay the driver then join Peyton on the sidewalk and grab our bags.