Page 7 of Beautifully Shattered
It’s not light.
It’s not warmth.
But something so much darker.
Something heavy and primal, unfurling in my chest like a wildfire.
I should be scared. But I’m not.
No.
There’s no room for fear anymore, because I’ve just realised something.
Now I know why I didn’t die.
Leaning forward, I pull myself up on shaky legs, my body trembling under the weight of everything I’m carrying.
Lexi and Ringo steady me, one on each side, and I lean down, pressing my lips to my little girl’s stone-cold forehead.
My tears spill onto her delicate skin, and for a moment, I let myself wish we were inside a fairytale, where a kiss or the drop of a tear could magically spark her little heart back to life, sending blood rushing through her veins again.
A fairytale where there’s always a happily ever after.
But my story doesn’t end like that.
No.
Mine ends in violence and blood.
“Mummy will get them,” I whisper, knowing Lexi and Ringo can still hear, but the man standing off to the side can’t. “I will make every single one of them pay. I won’t stop until they are all dead.”
Using my thumb, I gently brush away the tears clinging to Bobbi’s skin. A soft touch that feels like both a blessing and a curse.
“That’s one promise I know I can keep, Bobbi.” I straighten, my heart shattering all over again as I look down at her one last time, and swear one last promise. “And once they are all gone… Mummy will join you.”
3
Abbey’s parting words to her little girl are haunting me. Echoing in my head, refusing to let go. What gets me isn’t just the words. It’s the quiet certainty in her voice, like she’s already made peace with them. Like she’s decided on an ending she won’t come back from.
Lexi West
She’s grieving. She just needs time to heal.
I keep staring at Lexi’s message. She sent it after leaving last night. After spending the whole damn day holding her friend close as she unravelled. I watched Lexi hold her together through every drop of the emotional rollercoaster Abbey is suffering through.
Today,Abbey’s a ghost. Quiet. Still. Sometimes she cries, but it’s so soft I wouldn’t even know unless I caught a glimpse at her face.
And even then, I’ve got to fight to see it, because that face is rarely turned my way anymore. Like she can’t bear to look at me. Like she hates the very sight of me.
Fuck… I can feel her slipping through my fingers.
I think I’m losing her.
Standing from my chair, I round the bed so I can see her, and the moment she clocks me getting close, she turns her head, shutting me out once again.
“I know I’m an ugly fucker, but you never used to have trouble looking at me.”
She scoffs, but that’s it.
