Chapter Thirteen
Fallon
I've never known guilt like this. It coils around me like a living thing, wrapping itself tightly around my heart and squeezing until breathing feels nearly impossible. Curled beneath Violet’s plush black duvet, I bury myself deeper into the comforting softness, desperately trying to hide from the ache burning through me.
My chest feels hollow, empty without the familiar warmth of my pack.
Without them, everything is colder, darker—lonely in a way that makes me physically ache.
I sigh softly, running a shaky hand through my tangled blue hair, a chaotic mess around my face.
It matches the chaos swirling inside of me.
My heart clenches painfully as I glance at the bedside table, illuminated by Violet’s dim lamp, the soft glow highlighting the photo wall across from me filled with memories of laughter and brighter days.
I envy Violet’s uncomplicated life at this moment, though I know it hasn't always been easy for her, either.
Unable to help myself, I pick up my phone, heart aching with each notification I swipe through.
My breath hitches as Voss’s texts flood the screen again, each one more unhinged and broken than the last. His pain is almost tangible, and I can feel it tearing through me, ripping open wounds that haven't even started healing.
I can’t fucking breathe. You took the air with you.
Did you really think you could walk away without destroying me, Fallon? Without breaking every piece of me I gave you?
I’m suffocating in this darkness. It’s dragging me under, and you’re the only light that keeps it from swallowing me whole. You’re fucking killing me, princess.
Answer me, even if it’s just to scream. To curse me. To hate me. Just don’t be silent. I’ll take your anger, your hatred. Anything but silence.
Come home. Hurt me if you need to. Punish me. Rip my fucking heart out—but just come home.
A sob escapes my throat, raw and painful, as I clutch the phone against my chest. I wish I could hate him, hate them, but instead, I just hurt.
Voss’s words have shredded the protective numbness I was clinging to, exposing all my wounded pieces, and I feel exposed, vulnerable, and utterly miserable without them.
My breath catches again when I move onto Kingston’s texts, his usual icy mask clearly cracked wide open, his desperation seeping through.
Fallon, please talk to us. Yell, scream, throw things, do whatever you need to do—just don’t shut us out.
I should have told you sooner. We all should have. I never meant to make you feel bought. You’re priceless, little one. Please come home.
I close my eyes against the tears, my body shaking as I flip to Jace’s messages. His usually stoic personality makes each vulnerable word stab deeper into my heart.
I miss you, kitten. The house feels empty without your sass. Please don’t stay away.
Please tell me what I need to do to make this right. I’ll do anything. I’ll give you the world if you’ll let me. Just don’t give up on us.
Finally, I brave Romano’s messages, knowing they’ll destroy me the most.
Little Love, I know you’re hurting. But so am I. You’re my everything. Please don’t take yourself away from me.
I can’t stop pacing. The house feels wrong. I keep thinking I see you, hear you laughing, but you’re not here. It’s killing me.
I choke back another sob, dropping the phone back onto the bed beside me.
My body curls into itself, trembling with silent cries.
They love me. I know they love me—I never doubted that.
But they bought me from my mother like a goddamned commodity, and they hid it from me.
The betrayal cuts deep, but even through the hurt, my body aches to feel their arms around me again.
The door creaks open slowly, the dim hallway light slipping in before Violet steps inside, crossing her arms over her chest and fixing me with a stern but worried expression. Her purple hair is piled into a messy bun, and she’s dressed casually in leggings and a loose, oversized sweatshirt.
“Alright, enough is enough,” she announces firmly. “You can’t keep hiding in here and wallowing. Get up, shower, get dressed. We’re going out for ice cream.”
I groan, pulling the duvet tighter around me, but she isn’t having it. Violet marches over and tugs the blankets away, giving me a stern look that softens slightly at my miserable expression.
“Come on, Fallon,” she says more gently. “You can’t stay here forever. You look like hell, and if we don’t at least get you sugar, I’m afraid you’ll wither away into a ghost. So up!”
Sighing dramatically, I push myself upright, my legs shaky beneath me. Violet wraps her arms around me briefly in a comforting hug. “It’s going to be okay, you know. Whatever happens, you have me.”
I manage a watery smile, squeezing her hand tightly. “Thank you, Vi.”
She nods once, determined. “Now let’s go drown your misery in a milkshake-like the adults we are.”
Laughing softly despite the lingering ache in my chest, I get up and head towards the bathroom, hoping the ice cream will numb some of this pain—or at least distract me from the chaos that’s waiting for me back home.
She’s right. Moping won’t fix anything; despite it all, I don’t want to leave them.
Looking at my phone for a moment, I send a group text.
I'm okay. Physically, at least. I just needed some space to breathe, but I miss you so much that it's killing me. I'll come home tomorrow—we can talk then. Please don't do anything stupid until I get there. I love you guys.
Fallon
April13th
7:59 P.M
The chilly night air bites at my skin as Violet and I step out onto the deserted sidewalk, leaving behind the cozy warmth of the ice cream shop.
I pull my jacket tighter around me, savoring the lingering taste of strawberry milkshake on my tongue.
Despite the heaviness that still lingers in my chest, the evening with Violet had been exactly what I needed.
“Thanks for dragging my miserable ass out, Vi.” I bump my shoulder against hers affectionately, glancing up at her profile bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights.
She snorts, tugging her scarf higher around her neck. "Someone had to. Watching you mope around was depressing as fuck. Next time, at least put some eyeliner on and commit to the goth aesthetic."
I laugh, the first real, unburdened laugh I've had in days. It feels good to smile again, even if the ache in my chest hasn’t fully disappeared.
We walk down the deserted sidewalk, our heels clicking softly against the cracked pavement.
The neighborhood is unusually quiet tonight, shadows stretching long and thin beneath the sparse streetlamps.
Violet parked around the corner, a side street with fewer lights, and as we round it, my laughter dies abruptly. The hairs at the back of my neck lift in warning. A chill trickles down my spine, making goosebumps rise along my arms beneath my sweater.
“Vi,” I whisper urgently, my body tensing with sudden apprehension. "Do you feel that?"
She pauses, fumbling distractedly in her oversized bag, fishing out her keys, seemingly oblivious. "Feel what? It's freezing, Fallon. I told you we should've—"
Her voice fades to nothing when a large, rough hand clamps over my mouth, yanking me backward.
Panic explodes inside me, and I kick back, adrenaline surging like fire through my veins.
Violet spins sharply, her eyes widening in horror as she screams, the shrill sound echoing off the brick buildings.
Her keys tumble from her trembling fingers, clattering harshly to the sidewalk, metallic echoes slicing through the silence.
"Fallon!" Violet lunges toward me, but another figure blocks her path. She's knocked aside, stumbling against the hood of the car.
I bite hard into the palm covering my mouth, tasting blood, feeling satisfaction when the man curses violently, his grip loosening just enough for me to wrench away. I stumble forward, gasping for breath, heart pounding wildly in my chest as Violet shouts my name again, desperate and fearful.
Just as I spin around to fight, pain explodes at the side of my neck—a needle stabbing deep.
Cold terror floods me, overwhelming the fight within as a burning sensation spreads rapidly through my bloodstream, robbing strength from my limbs.
I blink hard, vision blurring. I sway, reaching out for Violet, but the world is already slipping away from me.
“Fallon!” Violet’s anguished scream echoes sharply through the night, slicing through me as my knees collapse. She scrambles toward me, only to be grabbed by another set of hands.
The drug surges brutally through my body, leaving me weightless and helpless.
My vision darkens, streetlights blurring into vague pools of muted color as the ground rushes up.
Violet's screams, stopping abruptly, are the last sounds that reach my fading consciousness.
My name spills weakly from her, and the sinister, cruel laughter of our attackers echoes ominously through the darkness.
Jace
April 14th
2:06 P.M
I've lost track of how many times I've paced from one end of the living room to the other, my pulse roaring in my ears, the gut-deep dread growing heavier with each unanswered call.
My chest feels tight like there's a fist squeezing relentlessly at my heart, slowly driving me insane.
I glance at Romano, who's staring desperately at his phone as if sheer willpower could make it ring.
Kingston sits rigidly on the couch, his usual calm completely shredded, knuckles white from gripping his phone. His normally pristine appearance is disheveled—his dark shirt is rumpled, top buttons undone, sleeves hastily rolled up. Anxiety rolls off him in waves.
Voss is the most unsettling of us all. He stands near the window, utterly motionless, eyes vacant and lifeless. I've seen that look before—just never directed inward. He's breaking, and we’re helpless to stop it.