Page 83 of Sweet Venom

Yeah, I was broken.

But the truth? I wasn’t just broken. I was worse.

I’d done things. Things I never told anyone. Things I couldn’t take back. If Poe Nicolasi ever knew—if she ever saw even a glimpse of what I’ve done—it would haunt her. It would ruin the way she saw the world. A sweet little thing like her would have nightmares for the rest of her life.

I wasn’t worthy of standing next to her—let alone being her friend. No one deserved that from me. I’m forsaken. Born that way, and I’ll leave this world the same. That’s what I deserve.

The wind picked up, carrying pieces of the card across the garden. I knew she was gone. I remembered the look on her face—so pale, her pink lips trembling—before she turned and walked away, tears in her pretty emerald eyes.

Good, I told myself. She should leave. It’s for the best.

But still... something gnawed at me. A tightness in my chest, an ache I couldn’t explain. I was supposed to be numb. I was supposed to feel nothing.

But when I could no longer hear her soft footsteps, something twisted inside me—sharp, cold, and lethal.

The pain was too intense.

What’s happening to me?

I looked at the ground, trying to focus on anything other than the ache in my chest. That’s when I noticed a few pieces of the card still stuck in the grass. Frowning, I knelt and began picking them up. My hands were stiff, shaking slightly. I shoved the scraps into my pocket.

I couldn’t let her words slip away. I just couldn’t.

The thought made the pain in my chest even worse.

The wind howled through the garden, making the roses shiver. I looked up at the moon—and it was like staring into a mirror. Distant and cold. Just like me.

And then I saw her.

My mom. Kadra.

She stepped out of the shadows like a ghost, her face lit by moonlight. Still beautiful, even with that familiar anger in her eyes. She was grumpy like me—but she was always there. Always loving.

She didn’t say a word as she knelt beside me, not caring that she would dirty her pretty black dress. Her warm fingers brushed against mine, helping me collect the last of Poe’s card. She didn’t ask why it was in pieces. She didn’t need to. She just knew.

I was thankful for that.

I’m always thankful for her.

I always will be.

For a while, we said nothing. Only the sound of crinkling paper and the wind between us.

Then, finally, her voice broke the silence—soft but strong and full of love.

“My beautiful sun,” she said, placing her gloved hand gently on my face, turning me toward her. “You are worthy of loveand friendship. You are worthy of all the beautiful things life has to offer. You are worthy of all of it and more.”

I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to tell her she was wrong. I wanted to say something bitter. But her words stopped me cold.

How could she believe that?

I was a mistake. Just a number. A monster in borrowed skin.

But when I looked into her eyes—those lovely, liquid gold eyes—I saw something real. She meant it. Every word.

My throat tightened.

“No. I don’t,” I muttered. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve her... and I don’t deserve you.”

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