Page 40 of Before We Break Again
The hum of the jet’s descent pulls our attention to the window as we begin to land.The plane dips below the clouds, and suddenly, the ground stretches out beneath us—vast and endless, like the future we’re both afraid to face.
It feels like we’re teetering on the edge of something huge, something that could either save us or destroy us, and I can’t help but think that this moment, this landing, is more than just touching down on the runway.
It’s about facing what comes next.The choices we’ve made, the ones we’ve avoided, and the consequences we can’t outrun.It’s the moment where everything shifts, the point where we can no longer pretend we’re still circling above the storm, safe from whatever’s waiting for us on the ground.
As the wheels touch the tarmac with a soft jolt, I glance at Dustin.His face is still tight with worry, the tension clear in his expression.But there’s something else there now—a flicker of resolve, maybe.Like he’s made up his mind.His hand is still in mine, and I hold onto it like it’s anchoring me to this moment.To whatever comes next.
I give Dustin’s hand one final squeeze before letting go, looking him in the eyes as I say, “It’s time, Dust.Let’s do this.Together.”
ChapterTwenty-One
Halsey
Just as I’mabout to unbuckle my seat belt, my phone vibrates in my pocket.I should’ve left it in airplane mode for another hour—or six.I pull it out and glance at the screen, frowning.Mom.Of course.
With a sigh, I answer.“Hey, Mom.”
“Halsey, where have you been?I’ve been calling you all day.”Her voice is sharp, slicing through the static from the plane’s engine with the same precision she uses to cut through my patience.“I called your job, and they said you no longer work there.Is that true?”
I feel my stomach twist.Great.A glitch in the plan—my parents.They’re not going to take this well, especially not my mom.Worse, now that I’m closer to San Francisco, they’ll expect me to visit more often, drop by for those painfully long dinners filled with barely concealed judgment and passive-aggressive remarks.Why didn’t I think of this before?
“I’ve been busy,” I say, glancing at Dustin.He’s watching me now, curiosity flickering in his eyes as I stand and follow him toward the exit.“Things are pretty hectic.You can’t expect me to be available at all times.”
I deliberately skip over the part where I quit my job.When she finds out, things are going to get painfully interesting, and I’m in no rush to dive into that particular disaster.It’s not like she’ll take it well.In my parents’ world, quitting without a solid, bulletproof plan isn’t just irresponsible—it’s practically a cardinal sin.And if they find out it was to help Santos and Dustin ...Well, I’m not ready for that specific drama.Nope.
“I don’t care how busy you are,” she snaps.“This is important.”
I already know what’s coming.I’ve known my mother long enough to anticipate the shift in her tone, the way her voice softens just before she drops some obligation on me, like a beautifully wrapped bomb.But I ask anyway, knowing I won’t like the answer.“What’s so important that you almost called the National Guard because you couldn’t find me, Mom?”
Her voice changes, adopting that sweetness that always comes before she manipulates me into something.“Your sister got engaged.You’d know if you were on social media,” she adds with that condescending tone I know all too well.“In any case, we’re having a party this weekend.You need to be there.”
I stop dead in my tracks, mid-step, causing Dustin to nearly bump into me.What?I blink, trying to process her words.“Wait— Brielle got engaged?”
“Yes, Kensington proposed.You remember him, don’t you?”Her tone turns acidic, sharp enough to leave a sting.“If only you and Carson hadn’t broken up ...you would’ve been first.He was such a great man.Rich, too.”
Of course, it comes back to Carson.Everything always does with her.My jaw tightens, my hand gripping the phone a little too hard.I force myself to respond, even though the sarcasm is impossible to hide.“Wow, what a joy.Brielle must be over the moon.Congratulate her for me, since, you know ...I don’t have social media to do so.”
I could call Brielle myself.But I won’t.She and I ...we’ve been distant ever since we left Blissful Meadows.Our relationship cracked after everything that happened, fractured in ways that never healed.At first, she blamed me for ruining her life, for forcing our family to move away from the little town she loved.But when she found out the real reason why we left, why I was sent to that Catholic boarding school, everything shattered.In her eyes, I became tainted—nothing but a disgrace, a slut.
Slut-shaming became her favorite thing, her weapon of choice whenever I’m around.And I learned not to engage, not to defend myself.What’s the point?It’s easier to let her live in her carefully curated version of reality, where I’m some villain and she’s the victim.
Where she gets to look down on me from her perfect pedestal, judging me for mistakes she’ll never understand.Nothing was a mistake.Loving is never a mistake.Being a part of the Laheys isn’t a mistake either, I didn’t choose to be a part of such a judgmental family.Of course, I do choose to stay away from their toxicity.
My mother’s voice drags me back to the present.“Halsey, are you listening?This party is important to your sister.Don’t make this about you.”
I clench my jaw, biting back the words I want to throw at her.Of course it’s not about me.It never is.It’s always about Brielle, the golden child, the one who could do no wrong.The one who never got her life ripped apart the way mine was.
“Halsey, are you paying attention?The party is this weekend,” she continues, her voice already carrying the expectation that I’ll drop everything and go.“We expect you to be there.It’s the least you can do for your sister, considering how little you’ve been around lately.”
“I’ll see if I can make it,” I say, my voice flat and emotionless.
“That’s not an answer,” my mom snaps.
“It’s the only one I’ve got right now, Mom.”I’m so close to hanging up, but something inside me tightens, and I add, “I have a very important case.Classified, actually.I can’t discuss it, so no, I don’t know if I can make it, and I won’t be reachable to you or anyone.”
Before she can get another word in, I end the call and shove my phone deep into my purse like I’m trying to bury the conversation with it.
Dustin is waiting for me at the bottom of the plane’s staircase, his hand extended to help me down.“Everything okay?”he asks, his tone cautious, like he already knows the answer.
