Page 55 of The Wicked Love

Can’t break.

Callum kissing me. My heart begs me to let me feel again, to love again.

Can’t break.

All I’ve ever wanted in this world is to be loved. But that can’t happen. Because everyone I love either dies or gets so damaged that they wish they were.

Can’t break.

My body jerks to a stop.

“Becca! Breathe! Breathe!”

My hand is lifted.

“You’re bleeding.” Her voice is soft, warm. It reminds me of my mother. “Look at me.” She shakes my shoulders. “LOOK AT ME!” Sophie spins me, aggressively forcing my gaze to hers.

And she’s crying.

I’m crying.

Can’t break.

“Hey. It’s okay. It’s okay. Come here.” She pulls me to her, wrapping her arms around my heaving shoulders.

Can’t break.

“Let it out, Becca. Let it all out,” she whispers.

My tears fall faster, my eyes slam shut, my body goes limp. Sophie steadies me, rubbing her hands up and down my back.

She directs me into the car with Keanu lifting me onto the seat by my waist. The same waist Callum caressed.

Can’t break.

A second later, the car jerks forward, but Sophie remains wrapped around me, whispering to me, “It’ll be okay, Becca. Everything will be okay.”

Can’t break.

“No, it won’t. Nothing will ever be okay.” The words fall from my lips, but I didn’t mean to say them.

“Don’t say that,” Sophie says, her hands still rubbing my back.

Can’t break.

“I’m alone. I’m meant to be alone.” My words continue to fall past my numb lips, breaking apart from my cries.

Can’t break.

She grabs my cheeks, the same way Callum did, and when I open my eyes, she says, “Becca, you arenotalone. You are not meant to be alone. You have Keanu and Max. You have me. You have Rose. You have Callum, whether you want to or not. You have Cade and Stella and Brooke. You have a group of people who would die for you, would do anything for you. So, stop pushing us away and let us in! We are here for you, all of us. No matter what. I promise.”

Can’t break.

She wraps her arms back around me. “We love you, Becca. And you might think isolating yourself from the world will keep you from ever feeling pain or causing pain. But you’rewrong. Sometimes, the only way to deal with pain is to feel it, to writhe in it until it becomes your strength, until you own it.”

Can’t break.

Can’t break.