Page 130 of The Sound Of Silence

I’m not sure how long I’m there when I feel a presence above me and slowly glance up to see Tate holding out my phone. He says something, but it doesn’t register, the fog that fills my head proving difficult to push through.

“What?” I repeat, trying to stay sane just long enough to concentrate.

“Youlied,” he repeats, emphasizing the last word, telling me he’d been watching us for a while.

That may be true, but… “Technically, I didn’t.”

Tate frowns as his hand settles behind his neck. “Fuuuck,” he drags out. “You really love her.”

My shattered heart pulses at the wordlovebut it’s pointless. It means nothing now. And since it’s not a question, I don’t say anything to confirm or deny it.

He knows the answer, just like he knew how I felt back then.

I love her. More than I’ve loved anyone else in this entire fucked-up world.

And the reality of it is…

I always have.

Chapter Fifty-One

Jesse - Twelve Years Ago / Age Sixteen

Therhythmictoneseepsinto my brain, and I worry I’ll never be able to shake it. Being here physically pains me. My skin crawls, my body aches, and my heart hasn’t stopped racing since I walked through the door.

But I can’t leave.

I have to see this through.

Nurses come and go, all with sympathetic expressions, their pity visible in their eyes. Pity that only gets stronger with each passing hour, as the chance of recovery reduces.

The machine beeps erratically and my entire body stiffens. I stare straight ahead, acting my part as the nurses and doctors rush in. And when the machine flatlines, I fall to the bed, shaking for effect.

It’s over.

For some people that torturous sound signals the end, but for me it signals a new beginning.

I’m free.Almost.

To be continued…