Page 69 of The Destruction You Desire

She stares at her sister, reluctant to leave her.

"Nothing will happen, I promise."

"Y-yeah, okay."

"Take your coffee. I got you a cupcake too if you want it. Go and sit in that little garden we found yesterday."

She picks up the coffee but leaves the cupcake behind.

"I won't be long."

"Take as much time as you need, baby. All of this is a lot to process."

16

Peyton

Irest back on the bench that's in the middle of the memorial garden we found out back of the hospital. The sun is shining, the scent of flowers fills my nose and the light breeze flows over my face.

For the first time since I received that phone call yesterday, I feel a little bit of hope trickle through my veins.

I take a sip at my now lukewarm coffee and focus on the taste instead of the man who got it for me.

Luca Dunn.

Fucking hell. He's been a part of my life, whether in actual person or just in spirit, all of my life. I have no memories of life before him, and I'm not sure I want to really admit it to myself, but equally, I don't want a future without making more with him.

I sit forward, dropping my head into my hands.

He's messing with my resolve to keep him at arm's length. Everything he's done since I ran into him yesterday has helped push what happened between us farther and farther back in my mind. But I don't want it to. I want to remember that vicious version of him. I need it to remind myself that I can't give in to the sweet boy hiding beneath. Because if I do, I'll be the one who's once again left heartbroken and alone. And it'll only be worse this time because it's not just my heart that will shatter.

Kayden.

A little boy who through no fault of his own has lost everything. If he were to lose Luca now, even though they've only seen each other across the yard… No. Just no. If protecting Kayden means keeping Luca at arm's length, then that's what I'll do.

I think about what I told Luca this morning about getting to know Kayden like Leon did, and I realize that I was a little harsh. I can't push my issues and my questionable relationship with Luca onto the one he could potentially have with his little brother. That's not fair.

I pull my cell out of my purse with the intention of calling Aunt Fee to update her, but when I land on another contact first, I know that I need to talk to her, to get a rational opinion on all of this.

"Peyton, how are you?" Letty says in a rush the second the call connects.

"I've been better," I answer honestly.

"I'm so sorry about your sister."

"Thanks."

"Any news?"

I give her the CliffsNotes version of what Dr. Willis and her colleagues said.

"That sounds positive."

"Yeah. She's got a long way to go. She's a freaking crank addict, Let," I confess, weirdly feeling lighter for having said the actual words.

"I know. She's got a long road ahead of her."

"I'm terrified that she's going to run straight back to it. If she does, the next time I see her, it's not going to be a bed she's lying in."