Page 121 of Broken

I paused when I reached the steps that led up to the old property my grandpa used to own, certain she would be there, but I still sent up a small prayer, and taking a deep breath, I used the flashlight to add to the light of the moon. My heart dropped in my chest to see the empty steps, even shining the flashlight up to the porch, knowing the house was vacant with the winter season.

Nothing. It didn’t make sense. If I couldn’t find her here, thenwhere?

I’d just decided to check further down the shore when a streak of lightning lit up the sky, the sound of thunder booming out around me, and I froze at the faint shriek that cried out in the wind.

Izzy.It had to be her. I’d known that shriek for years.

Rushing forward, trying to follow the direction I’d heard in the wind, all remaining air gushed from my lungs with my sigh of relief when I found Izzy curled up under the pier, the large beam placing her just out of sight from where I’d looked from the back edge of the shore. Her head was tucked into her arms, and her knees were clutched to her chest as water soaked her feet and clothes.

My heart broke to find her that way, alone and afraid and shaking with cold. I didn’t even stop to think about what I would say. I just walked up, unfolded the heavy blanket, and laid it over her shoulders, pulling her into my lap away from the wet sand.

“Tucker?” she murmured, her voice shaking as she curled into me for warmth.

“Yeah, it’s me, princess.” I ran a hand through her damp, curling hair, the strands no longer straight with the water.

“What are you doing here?” Her teeth chattered as she shook.

I swallowed, fighting back a grimace at her tone. There was no relief in it. All I could hear was the accusation behind it. “I came to find you. You nearly scared everyone out of their minds with the way you left.”

She frowned, her voice turning harsh. “You should leave.”

Unable to help it that time, I winced. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“Why not? I don’t want your pity.”

My pity?“That’snotwhy I’m here. I’m here because you need me. You’re freezing and there’s lightning, which I know you hate.” I paused at her wince. “Not to mention I found your truck. I know it won’t start, so how else are you going to get home? That, and your mom and sister will kill me if I leave you here like this. My parents would, too.”

She attempted a glare even as she shivered. “Don’t worry. You can tell them all I resisted. Tell them all I kicked you where it hurts with my boot for all I care. I wouldn’t want you to get torn up over me.”

I breathed out heavily through my nose, striving for patience, and gave her a pointed look. “I wasn’t finished.”

“What then?”

“I’m not leaving without you because I’ve screwed up enough these past weeks as it is, so I’m not going anywhere until I’ve made things right.”

“What do you mean?” Her face contorted in confusion as a shiver ran up her spine so strong that her body jerked in my lap.

I yanked off my jacket and pulled back the blanket to help her put it on. It swallowed her, falling well down her thighs, but I knew it wouldn’t help much with her pajama bottoms soaked underneath it.

“Take these off,” I instructed, tugging at the silky material at her thighs, and of course, she stubbornly shook her head. “Izzy, you’re freezing, and I need to get you warm.” I leveled her with a look, taking her glare until she finally complied, standing to slip the wet silk off. I pulled her back into my lap before she could protest, snaking my arms in the open front of the jacket to slide them under her silk top, doing everything I could think of to warm her frozen skin.

She shuddered when I pressed my hands to her back. “Tucker, please…” Her voice nearly broke, and it pulled at my chest to hear her desperate plea for me to pull away.

I continued anyway, tucking my head by hers. If what Annie said was true, then she’d want to hear it. “I should have never pulled away from you, princess. I’m so sorry. You needed me, and I wasn’t there.”

I felt her breath stagger beneath my hands. “Really?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I want to.”

“So do.” Please.

“I’m not sure I can.”

“Why?”

“Because everything else made perfect sense,” she explained, her voice soft at my ear, tortured. “I understood why you didn’t want to be around me. Why you didn’t want me anymore.”

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