4: I L

turned i

had dozed off on the couch. But the sharp

up, blinking away the drowsiness. The room wa

at the clo

be visitin

e doorbell rang again, more insistent this time. Her brows knitted together she hes

z

locked the door and swung it open. Her

ne of Lucas's close friends. And beside him, slumped against his

ch twisted a

offering an awkward s

crisp shirt was wrinkled, the top buttons undone. His usually sharp

asked, stepping forward to help support

t's my story to tell. I'm sorry, Nics.

t sit well

d the tension in his jaw. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and L

ant to beat the shit out of him," Izek mut

ened?" she pressed, her voice lac

through his hair, his anger momentarily giving way to something so

inked, ta

ha

ay, I should go. You don't need to take care

d already patted her shoulder lightly. "You d

leaving her alone with the dru

rawled out on the couch, his chest risi

crashed through her-ange

nched h

ell happen

ing while she sat her

for

to shake him awake, demand an explanation,

he asked, wou

he eve

tilting her head back as fru

ours

ared before. Why

im there for the night. She refused to stay here, hoveri

weakly wrapping

a f

't g

rely above a whisper, but it

His grip on her wrist was weak yet desperate, hi

ain, voice thick with emotio

breath

is? What's

o hear those words from him, to hear him ask h

d, a fragile hope

r hands shaking as she reached for his. "

ngers brushed against her cheek. The gentlen

omised, tears welling i

y breath. His grip o

is voice cracked. "I... I love

heart s

shock as his words

love

ing over her. She didn't care if he was drunk. She didn't care if it

ee years, she h

r him to l

or him to

him to lov

t, he was telling her what s

me. Lucas

she reached out, her fingers tr

lov

ah.

e was a

as well have

a f

n her chest just moments ago, suddenl

must hav

d to b

th

ah.

id it

ime, it sh

ck and suffocating, crushing th

trembled aga

n't he

r he was thi

down on her chest as realization

nken, unfocused eyes gazing at her-no, past

ain, his voice raw, fill

so broken it made

e you so much... ple

like she w

ed at the man she loved, the man she had given everythin

hole t

t talkin

ow laugh bubbled up her throat. It broke pa

path

d been

te, hope

she had waited.

just stayed, if she just loved him enough, one d

he would

he would

he knew t

't hers. H

never w

s very touch burned her. She stumbled back, her knees giv

earching for someone who wasn't

ent and unrelenting, as she stared at him

nd who had never

n his most vulnerable stat

been the one he whi

ever been the

never w

ver her, raw and unyielding, as

rate, had been the only t

t

t was

t crueler than it