Page 69 of Eternal Pieces

There’s no passcode to get into the phone, and although the screen keeps moving around I manage to open the texts.

My hand flops to the floor, the phone slipping from my grasp.

It was all her.

Those texts…they were never from Aaron.

I look up at her with two decades, worth of pain in my eyes. “Why?”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen! They were just to scare you into doing the right thing!” Her eyes go wide with fear, but she’s not looking at my face. I follow her gaze and see red on my dress. Why is there red?

“It’s okay. I’m calling an ambulance now.”

She presses the other phone to her ear, and at the same time, the door flies open, splinters of wood scatter through the air like confetti.

I break down in tears when I see Maddox’s fearful face. Max is right behind him. They look so perfect in their suits. I’m sad this is how I get to see them, but I’m glad for it as well. I feel like I’m fading away. The closer they get to me, the less I feel them. If the worst comes then, at least I get to go with them in my memory.

CHAPTER 27

MAX

I’m going to kill her.

That’s the only thought keeping me sane as I pace the hall outside the room where Violet’s currently having surgery.

I’m going to kill her mother for having any part in this.

The twisted bitch has been anonymously texting her own daughter for months, trying to get into her head and make her break up with us. She knew James was screwing with her in the same way last year and she thought she’d have a shot at it. All because she’s fucking jealous.

If Dad hadn’t gotten Charity out of there, I would have killed her on the spot. Seeing Violet on the floor like that… Hearing her cries of pain through the door.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I’ve never felt so helpless before.

I should have done something. Should have known she needed me.

Now she’s fighting for her and our babies’ lives, having an emergency cesarean.

I’m going to be having nightmares of the moment I watched her slip away for the rest of my life. It was worse than the crash.Worse than every moment of pain I’ve endured since. Violet’s pale, unresponsive face. The red on her white dress.

“Fuck!” I punch the wall. Mad is on me within seconds. Pulling me away before I can hit it again.

“We have to go find the bitch and make her fucking pay!” I snarl.

He forces me into a chair, and when I try to get up, he pushes me back down. “I want that too, but we can’t. Do you think Violet would ever look at us the same way again if we hurt her mom?”

“That’s if she ever looks at us again!” I snap. “She could be dying in there right now! All four of them could be!”

“They’ll be fine.” Mad sits down next to me. “They have to be fine.” His voice grows softer, less sure.

“What sort of parent even does that?” I drop my head into my hands. “Those texts were vile. She wished this exact moment on her, Mad. We can’t let her get away with it.”

Charity will be at her motel now. Not the Quartz that she lied about staying at. She only came back to see Violet because she blew through all of Dad’s money. He’d told her that she’d never see another cent from him, but Violet would always be looked after. I can’t believe someone could be so jealous of that and want to strip it all away.

“Let’s get through this first.” Mad squeezes my knee, and I let out a breath.

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