Page 35 of Break Me

He storms across the yard, jaw clenched, lip curled like he’s still tasting blood even though the only one bleeding was Samuel. “That’s the last time you’ll see him. Do you understand?”

“I’m not a kid,” I snap, lifting my head. My voice cracks, but I don’t care. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

Knox’s eyes are wild, still riding the adrenaline of beating the man I love. He opens his mouth, probably to tell me exactly how much he doesn’t care what I think, but Pop steps between us.

“Knox,” he warns. “Enough.”

“Enough? Are you kidding me?” he laughs. “It all makes sense now. They’ve been sneaking around our backs for months.”

His words slice straight through me.

Pop’s gaze shifts to me. “Is that true?”

My breath trembles. “Yes.”

Knox drags both hands through his hair, eyes wild with fury. “I'm going to fucking kill him.”

“No, you won’t,” I say.

Knox spins on me, pointing a shaking finger. “You lied to me. You lied to all of us. And you, you put yourself in danger⁠—”

“In danger of what?” I fire back. “Being loved? Being cared for? Being treated like I matter instead of some little kid you all get to protect but never actually listen to?”

Knox goes still.

Pop closes his eyes, just briefly, like he’s praying for patience he doesn’t have. Then he says, “Both of you get inside, and we’ll talk about this calmly.”

Calmly.

There’s nothing calm about the Knox hit Samuel like he wasn’t his best friend. Nothing calm about the way Samuel’s blood spilled on the gravel.

“I’m not going inside.” I meet both of their gazes. “Not until you both understand something.”

They wait as I push to my feet. “I love him,” I say, my voice sure and steady.

Pop exhales sharply, and Knox flinches like I stabbed him.

“And I’m not going to pretend I don’t just because it makes life easier for you,” I continue. “He didn’t lie to you to hurt you. He lied because he was protecting me. Because he knew this—” I gesture to the porch, the gravel, the blood drying in the dirt “—is exactly how you’d react.”

“He betrayed me,” Knox says.

“No. He chose me.”

My words are met with silence.

Heavy and dangerous.

Pop finally speaks. “We’re not done with this conversation, Raven.”

“I know.” My voice softens. “But you’re both wrong if you think you can scare me out of loving him.”

I turn and walk toward the house. But before I step inside, I look over my shoulder where Samuel vanished down the road.

And I know one thing with absolute, terrifying certainty.

This isn’t over.

Not by a long shot.