Chapter 25 #2
Her back straightens, and her arms fold over her chest. She changes from one emotion to the other so fast that it’s almost frightening. “Because he’s mine, Skully. Madden Danvers was always meant to be mine. And you don’t deserve to be happy.”
“So, what? You’re going to throw me off the cliff?” I ask, a nervous laugh bubbling out of my chest.
Lily’s face lights up, her eyes zeroing in on me. “I won’t have to push you. You’ll jump yourself.”
I shake my head, my hair brushing across my shoulders. “Why would I do that?”
“You want your memories, don’t you?” Lily taunts, glancing over the edge behind me. “They’re down there. Don’t you know what happens when a bond breaks, Skully?”
The pain behind my eyes intensifies, reaching my temples. My eyes are fighting to stay open from the pain. I lick my lips, wracking my brain for anything that sticks out over the past couple of years. “I don’t know.”
“Hmm.” Lily watches me, moving closer toward me. “When a bond breaks, pieces of that bond, magic, power, your essence even, it scatters. Broken bonds can be severely dangerous to paranormals. Especially when there’s an opening for them to exit from.”
The scar on my arm burns, the markings that cover it move over my skin, trying to soothe the wound that has already started healing. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, your memories are down there, Skully. And I think it’s about time you remember how you lost them in the first place.”
Gray magic surrounds me, pushing my body to the edge, the very tips of my shoes, toeing the line. Glancing over my shoulder I notice a flash of light glowing beneath the waves. My body tips too far back, trying harder to see what it is. My arms flail, and my heart seizes in my throat.
“Don’t do this.”
“Oh, I didn’t want to. But you left me no choice. Madden thinks he can abandon me? That he can push aside our bond and still live happily ever after?” Lily throws her hands up, and my body rises off the ground.
“You did everything to pull them under your spell. It was sickening to watch them flock to you, hang off your every word. They started pulling away from me, you know? Aero would say we needed to include you more. Heath was always sticking up for you. Killian thought you hung the moon, that you were just the best thing for his best friend. And don’t even get me started on Madden.
He fell so hard for you, so fast it was like he had a personality swap.
All that changed though, didn’t it, Skully?
” Lily smirks, getting closer to me, her nail dragging down my cheek and spreading chills down my body.
My legs kick, and my magic strains to burst free.
This can’t be happening again. Tears fall from my eyes and the helpless feeling in my heart is making it hard to breathe.
I struggle to get free and the phantom memories swarm my mind.
I just wanted to be free. I couldn’t contain it any longer. I need him to make it better.
“They still gave up on me, Lily. In the end they chose you.”
The painful memory pulls from my mind while more tears gather in my eyes.
Lily’s magic lets me go. She tips her head, watching me.
“Once Madden was convinced you were screwing his best friend behind his back, the others were just too easy to lure back to my side. Aero blames himself for befriending you first, for advocating for you. Heath was angry. He trusted you. It was easy to plant the thought that something was wrong with you, and not just that you were a cheating whore.”
Heath wants to meet up and talk. If I can get him to listen, maybe he’ll be able to talk to Madden. I just need to explain. I need him to listen to me for once.
“I was supposed to meet Heath here.” My eyes cut to hers and the glare of triumph makes me sick.
“Madden started to realize something was wrong with you too. He wouldn’t let his brother get played.”
Madden. He was here. He grabbed my arm. He wanted it out of me. I lean closer to the edge of the cliff. The light is shining brighter, a beacon of hope and answers. Even knowing that the truth will crush me, I’m tempted to get them back. She was right. I need to remember.
“Oh, I see you figured it out.” Lily giggles, her lips twisting into another victorious smile.
She’s won and she knows it. She knows I’ll never forgive him, and we’ll never be together after this.
I just know that once my memories are back, even if I survive this fall, not even fate could make me want him anymore.
My eyes stare out at the horizon, where water meets the sky.
Familiarity so raw it hurts floods my system.
I don’t think. Just like she said I would, I am going to jump.
My foot steps off the edge. My body drops.
Air is pushed out of my lungs, and my stomach sinks.
My eyes stay open. I get closer and closer to that bright light. It’s welcoming me, calling to me.
A flash of silver.
Silver eyes.
His eyes.
He watched. He watched and did nothing to stop it. Madden was the one to let me fall.
My soulmate tried to kill me. Right after he tried to shatter our bond.
The End