Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
I go to my knees in front of her and place a hand on her shoulder, after which she slowly caves into me, crying her eyes out against my chest, and it strips me bare of everything I thought I knew. About myself, about her, about us.
All my life, I have only ever chased fleeting desires, getting drunk on sex and the hedonistic lifestyle we enjoyed. All temporary, waning … until her.
She’s made me fall in love with her by simply existing.
“You stormed into our lives, and I haven’t been able to let you go. Even if you want to push me away right now, I don’t want to leave you when I know you’re hurting,” I say, holding her tight. “I just wish I could make it all go away.”
“Why? Why are you even here when you belong with them?” she asks, wiping away her tears as she looks up into my eyes.
“I belong to the Tartarus House because I gave my word to Ares after he saved my life … but my heart … I’ve given that to you.”
A brief smile adorns her face.
A smile so pure it takes my breath away.
She’s taken my soul, and I can no longer call it mine.
That honor belongs to her.
“But I understand if you can no longer be with me,” I say, shattering my own heart for her.
She nods and looks away at the horizon. “I just … want to be alone for now.”
I nod too despite the fact that I feel like my heart is being ripped to shreds.
I know this is for the best.
After all … how could she be with any of us when we’ve enabled a monster?
“Will he still come after me?” she asks.
I shake my head. “He’s made his point.”
“Right. He won.”
“What will you do now? Leave Spine Ridge?” I ask.
She stares out at Crescent Vale City, admiring the twinkling lights. “No. My father always wanted me to complete my studies here. So I will. For him. But I will do it on my own.”
I swallow. “I will always wait for you.” I pull another rose from my pocket, one I plucked on my way here, and I place it down on the grass before her. “When you’re ready, I’ll be there to mend your heart.”
And I turn around, leaving The Edge without a heart to call my own.
Caleb
That night
I climb up to her room at her sorority and peer inside. I’m surprised she’s already made her way back here.
Has she spoken with them and told them about our dirty secrets?
Did she tell anyone what we’ve made her do?
I stare at her as she’s curled up in her bed, clutching her pillow tightly.
Her soft whimpers break my heart.
I place a hand against the window, contemplating whether to break through just so I can hold her tight.
But I know she’d only drive that knife of hers straight through my heart just for touching her.
She hates us now …
Not because of my actions but because I can’t let her kill him.
When I first met her, I thought I wanted her to hate me. Because I was terrified of Ares’s obsession with her, of losing him to her. But I slowly came to realize he wasn’t the only one obsessed.
All I ever wanted was for her to be mine.
And when her mother came between us, I felt lost, confused, angry that she’d let it happen. I blamed her for my feelings when my heart was the one that had chained itself to her.
The one constant between us is Ares.
I love him, and he loves me …
But I love her too.
And he ruined that for me.
My hand slowly twists into a fist against the window, but I can’t bring myself to act.
She wouldn’t want me to. She made that very clear.
So I swallow away the frustration and slowly back away despite the burning flame inside my body, realizing she was destroyed by the one I love.
And with it, he destroyed me too.
CRYSTAL
I’m studying in the library, determined to make sure I at least succeed in my studies despite not being present for any of the classes these past couple of days.
I’m already glad the girls at Alpha Psi didn’t continue asking questions after I told them I’d been gone for a few days to camp in the woods with my mother.
It was only a half lie, but I felt bad about lying nonetheless.
Not to mention the fact that those Tartarus guys kept me from so much schoolwork.
Too much is at stake here. I promised my dad I would succeed. I’ve already disappointed my father in one aspect. I can’t risk this too.
But damn, those assholes really got the best of me.
I’m trying to keep my mind focused on the books because I really need to ace these tests that I have coming up, but it’s really hard when I know one of those boys, Caleb, is also in this very same room.