Page 122 of Did They Break You

I throw back the covers, then my bare feet hit the wooden floors. They creak beneath me as I reach down, snatching the phone from the floor, right beneath the window.

I slam it against the windowsill.

Over. And over.

And over.

I think about last night. Cortland manipulating me by offering me the phone.

I smash it against the wooden sill again.

It feels good, watching it crack, my heart racing, my hair falling down in my face.

Cortland is saying my name again, angrier this time, but I don’t care.

I smash his phone again.

And again.

And—

His hand comes around my wrist. He’s crossed the room and I didn’t even notice, anger loud in my head. “That’s enough, Remi.”His words aren’t even harsh. He’s quiet, like he doesn’t care. His shirt is off, eyes sleepy as I let him take his ruined phone, and I yank out of his grip, stumbling back a step.

I windmill my arms, staying upright as I shove my hand through my hair, yanking it out of my face.

His eyes are narrowed as he stares at his screen, dim now, because I broke his phone.

“You deserve that,” I tell him, backing away, glancing at my shoes by the door. “And you deserveher.”

“You gonna go cut yourself again, baby?” he asks me quietly, setting his phone down, his eyes holding mine as I shove my shoes on. “Go bleed for me instead of facing your pain? Instead of opening your pretty mouth andtalking?”

I shake my head, tears welling up in my eyes. “Fuck you, Cortland.Fuck. You.”I spin around, throw open his door and listen as it bangs against the wall.

“Remi,” Cort calls behind me. “Don’t fucking go. Don’t fucking hurt yourself.” I hear his footsteps.

I take another step out, until I’m in the narrow hallway.

“Baby, I just woke up. Can you give me five fucking seconds to figure out why you’re?—”

I spin around. “I’ll give you more than five seconds. I’ll give you an eternity.”Then I turn from him and I’m heading for the stairs. I look up, and my eyes meet Storm’s.

He’s staring at me, shirtless, and I have to force myself to hold his gaze instead of trail my eyes over his body.

“She doesn’t mean anything to him.”

My mouth falls open, anger making it hard to speak. I grab the railing for the stairs, heart thudding too loud in my chest.Like he thinks that makes it better.If anything, it’sworse.“You both are un-fucking-believable.”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-TWO

REMI

“How are things? With classes?”Sloane asks, dabbing cold cream on my face as I sit across from her on her bed.

She pulls back, inspecting me, then swipes her fingers in the concoction she’s put together of avocado, cocoa powder, honey and who knows what else. It smells decent, and feels good, and it’s a distraction.

Tonight, I’m leaving for Grim Mountain with Van, and it’s my birthday.

---