Page 68 of If You Dare

My heart stutters. I want to rip it out of my chest, tear it to shreds, and stomp on it.

I shouldn’t give a fuck about this girl. She ruined my life. She ended my sister’s.

But no matter how much I fight against it—against those memories of her sweet lips on mine, her soft words in my ear—I can’t win.

She’s the last girl I should want, but she’s the only girl I do.

Her tears break through my carefully crafted wall, shattering me entirely. I cradle her hips, my own eyes misting.

“I just miss herso much.” Violet attempts to cover her face with her hands. To hide the scrunch of her features as a heartbreaking sob wrenches from her chest. “And the only person I want to talk to about missing her hates me. And you should. You should hate me.Ihate me. But it’s been so,solonely grieving her alone. Without you.”

My heart splinters in two. One half for Chloe, my sister who was taken from this life entirely too soon. Who had so much life left to live. Who was my beacon of light, always shining.

The other half for Violet, the monster who took my sister away. The girl I started falling for before I even learned her name. The bright star still flickering, guiding me toward her, even in my darkest hour.

How can I love my sister and the girl who killed her at the same time?

But I know that’s what this is. I can’t deny it anymore. Can’t keep trying to bury my true feelings under a thousand layers of wrath and resentment and hatred.

What I’ve hated most of all isn’t what Violet did. What I’ve hated is that I’ve kept loving her through all of it, no matter how hard I’ve tried to stop.

Gently, I pull her hands down. Tears fall from her cheeks to the floor until I lift her chin up, forcing her shimmering gaze to meet mine. “I’m sorry I made you go through this alone.”

She shakes her head quickly. “Please don’t apologize. You don’t have anything to apologize for. I deserved it—”

“No, you didn’t, Violet.” I breathe slowly through my nose, pushing down the swell of emotion in my chest.

My parents’ words from the beginning of the semester ring through my head.You know she’s just as upset about Chloe’s death as we are. You need to figure out a way to forgive her, son. Your lack of forgiveness won’t hurt Violet, Wes. It’ll only hurt you.

“It was an accident. What you did was stupid. Really,reallyfucking stupid. But I know you loved her. You’d never hurt her on purpose.”

Violet shakes her head, a new stream of tears renewed. “No, I wouldn’t. I’d hurt myself before I’d hurt her.”

I swipe at a tear on her cheek. “I know. But I don’t want you hurting anymore.”

Violet can’t hold back now. She throws her arms around me, burying her face against my chest and letting the sobs wrack her body. Tears finally break through the barricade, blurring my own vision as I hold her to me as tight as I can. To make up for every single day since my sister died that I haven’t held her the way I should’ve.

She loved my sister so much. I can’t believe I ever thought I had to punish Violet for not loving her enough. Other than me and my family, there’s no one alive who’s ever loved Chloe more.

I’ve hurt Violet plenty in my plot for revenge. But none of it has dulled that deep, persistent ache. None of it has made me feel any fucking better. None of it has brought Chloe justice.

None of it has brought Chloe back.

No matter what I do to Violet now, my sister is gone. There’s no undoing what’s been done.

What Violet and I need now is to get through this, to move forward even when every step feels impossible. The only way we can do that is together.

Chapter24

After

Wes

In the locker room,I snarl, “Where’s Trey?”

Luke’s spine straightens at my tone, but Brody doesn’t notice I’m out for blood. He points to the other side of the locker room, and I stomp in Trey’s direction. Luke’s on my heels, ready to break up whatever fight’s about to go down.

Once I get my hands on that asshole, he’ll never lay another finger on Violet.

---