Page 15 of Shattered Mind

A chuckle rumbles in his chest. “I like you, too, Liv.”

“I’m sorry I told Sav to break up with you.”

I should probably stop talking, but the alcohol, mixed with my self-pity sadness has me babbling.

Hunter pauses. “You what?”

“I was just embarrassed that your brother rejected me.”

“My brother rejected you?”

I give him a pathetic nod. “Yep.”

“Which one?”

“The grumpy one.” Hunter is silent for a minute before continuing to walk me towards my bedroom.

“Don’t take it personally, Liv. My brother’s been through some shit.”

I resist rolling my eyes. It’s not an excuse to treat someone like shit. “Ain’t we all.”

I enter my bedroom, pausing in the doorway to say, “I kept your secret. Can’t wait to see it,” before staggering my way towards the bed and collapsing on top of it, face first.

CHAPTER 7

GRAYSON

PRESENT

White.

White walls.

White floors.

White lights.

Every time my eyes close with a blink, I see it on repeat.

My brother on the ground.

Blink.

Fighting for breath and bleeding out while Savannah put pressure on his wound.

Blink.

Carrying his dead-weight body down the stairs.

Blink.

The look of horror on Noah’s face when he saw the lifedraining from Hunter.

Blink.

The way my older brothers face morphed into my best friends one as I stood frozen, staring at him in a puddle of his own blood.

I lean my elbows on my knees, place my head in my hands and tug my hair in an attempt to ground myself.