Page 66 of The Destruction You Desire

Her warm hand lands on my upper arm.

"This kind of situation can break even the hardest souls. Just keep doing everything you're doing and pray."

"I'm not really the praying kind."

"You never know what will help, sweetie." My eyes remain on Peyton, sadness for my girl coiling around my chest, making it hard to drag in the breath I need.

"I'll give it a go. Thank you."

"We're here for whatever you need. I know you have plans to transfer her as soon as possible, but if either of you needs to talk to someone in the meantime, just let us know."

Ripping my eyes from Peyton, I look into the nurse’s kind eyes.

"Thank you."

Stepping around her, I walk away, feeling like I'm leaving a huge piece of myself behind.

My cell ringing stops me on my quest for coffee, and the second I see Letty's name on the screen, I stop and fall into the nearest chair before connecting the call.

"Hey."

"Hey. I just spoke to Lee. How's Peyton? Her sister?"

Leaning forward, I rest my free arm on my knee and scrub my hand down my face.

"A mess. I'm so out of my depth right now, Let. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing."

"You're there. That's the biggest thing you can do right now."

"I didn't exactly give her a choice in that matter."

"So I heard," she mutters.

"We slept together," I blurt out, not really meaning to say it but needing to confide in someone.

"Of course you did. Luc, what are you doing?"

"It wasn't me. Well, it was but… she started it. Wanted to get out of her head."

"Okay."

"Fuck," I bark, startling an old woman who's walking down the hallway. I flash her a smile in the hope of making up for it, but she only looks more terrified by me and moves a little faster. "I want more, Let. I don't want to be just the person she can use to get out of her head when shit gets hard."

The line goes silent, but I know she's still there.

"Go on, you can say it."

"I don't need to. You already know that you don't deserve any better. Hearing me say it won't help in any way."

"I just want to fix it. I want her back."

"I know. But it's going to take work, Luc. A lot of work. And right now isn't the time for it. Her head is messed up. Evident by the fact she slept with you," she deadpans.

"Thanks."

"I'm kidding. I'm sure you rocked her world, QB."

I roll my eyes at her, wishing that she was sitting beside me having this conversation.