Page 53 of Break Me Not

It wasn't long until the nurse came to tell us dinner was ready.

“Oh, you should stay! Dinner here isn't bad.”

“Next time, Mama,” I promised and leaned in to give her a hug and a small kiss on the cheek. “I love you and I miss you.”

When I pulled away, my mother had tears in her eyes.

“Oh Jaxie, how you’ve grown,” she said, placing her hand on my cheek. “I love you too, sweetie. Now go, and don't forget you have your finals tomorrow.”

My heart sank.

“You’re right,” I forced out and did my best to pull my lips into a smile. “I'll see you next time.”

“It was nice meeting you! Finally, my Jaxie has a friend. I hope you stick around longer than the others!” my mother called out to Claire as we left.

“I'll be back next time too!” she replied.

And then we watched as a nurse helped my mother toward the cafeteria, not saying anything for a while.

“You did good,” Claire finally said as she patted my back.

But the knot in my throat and the heaviness in my chest stayed.

And all I could think about was how much I wanted to go home and fall into the warm embrace of someone who didn't want me.

Liz

“I don’t need to come down there, do I? You got everything under control?”

Getting a call right when I walked into the gallery from the notoriously elusive owner, Stefan, was a shock, to say the least, especially since it had been days since the break-in.

In the end, we were just another source of income for him. As long as he got a paycheck at the end of the day, he didn’t care what I did here.

It was a good thing for me. It allowed me the freedom to work with whatever artist I wanted.

“Nope, it’s all under contro⁠—”

It was only then that I noticed the window that had been smashed had been replaced, complete with the gallery’s logo in the middle in a shade of blue that fit the walls.

“Liz?”

There was a bright yellow sticky note in the middle. I walked toward it, my fingers hovering over the hand-written note.

Take this as my apology. Enjoy <3

“Liz?”

“I’m here,” I murmured. “Sorry, lost connection for a bit. You don’t have anything to worry about, Stefan.”

When my eyes fell back to the logo, my heart skipped a beat in my chest.

It’s the same shade of blue as her eyes.

Slightly lighter, actually, but close enough that whenever I looked at it, I would be reminded of her.

Did she choose it on purpose? Does she know just how much my mind is overrun by her? Is this just a coincidence?

The sane part of me regretted what I let happen in her apartment the first night I was there, but another part—the one I tried to shove down—wanted more.