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“I don’t think I’ll ever get over this,” I sob. Apparently, I’m not entirely out of tears.

“You will,” he soothes.

I shake my head, my face rubbing on the pillow, tears overflowing. “I won’t.”

“Everybody feels like that when they’re heartbroken, but I promise it’ll get better. He’s a shitty guy, and he isn’t worth your tears.”

I nod, even though I don’t believe him. I don’t know how I’m supposed to move past this. Joseph has broken every vow and promise, tainted every second we’ve been together. All I can think about are the promises he made, all the beautiful things he told me. That he loved me. That I was special. That he would always choose me.

I fell in love with a man who stitched all my wounds together, and when I wasn’t paying attention, he wounded me more deeply than anybody ever has before. I don’t know how to get through this.

My phone beeps and I gasp slightly, desperate at the idea that it could be Joseph. Instead, it’s my father. He’s texted a few times recently, news about relocating to his hometown—my hometown—asking to see me. I drop my phone onto the bed, too distressed to deal with my father’s messages. Instead, I let myself relax into Felix’s warm embrace. I rest my head on his chest, and he smooths down my hair. I listen to his soothing words and focus on how strong he feels, my tears still dripping off my face.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I know he’s getting wet from my tears.

“You never have to apologise to me. I’m sure one day, I’ll be sobbing on your chest when I get my heart broken,” he proclaims.

“I’ll kill them for you,” I promise.

“Please tell me you don’t expect me to kill Joseph. I’ll do a lot for you, but murder makes me squeamish.”

“You’re off the hook. You can’t murder somebody if they’ve disappeared from the scene.” I sniffle and wipe my nose, trying to ignore the fact that I feel a little snotty.

“What did your dad want?” Felix asks.

“To meet up with me. He’s moving back, apparently,” I explain.

“Are you interested?”

“I can’t take another heartbreak,” I mutter. I swear I’m not going to get past the current one, and I can’t deal with the idea of my dad letting me down as well.

“You don’t need to worry about anything now. Just rest up. Get all those tears out. You’ve one more night of wallowing. Tomorrow, we’re going to plan your next steps. You can’t stay like this. I won’t let you.”

“I’m only allowed a few hours of sobbing over a broken heart?”

“Of wailing and sobbing, yes. Tomorrow, you hold your head up high. You may be feeling a bit broken inside, but I know you, Delilah. You’re made of tough stuff. You’re stronger than what he’s done to you.”

“Okay,” I whisper. I stare at him, tears still in my eyes, and he stares back at me with the kindness I’m sure he reserves just for me.

“I will kill him if you need me to,” he promises after a few minutes of silence between us.

It seems silly, but it’s enough to cause the merest hint of a smile on my lips.

Nothing has changed. I’m still heartbroken. I still don’t know how I’m supposed to pick myself up after this. But knowing I’ll always have Felix in my corner, no matter what, gives me the smallest flicker of faith. Picking myself up feels like an impossible task, but I take some solace in the knowledge that it can’t get any worse than this.

***

I walk up the pathway to my mother’s house. I know she’s out—I can tell by the fact that the curtains are wide open at this hour of the morning. She’s never awake this early, so I know I’m safe to do what I came here to do. I need to grab some of my things from my room, and I don’t plan to be here long. If she’s due to come home, at least I’ll be out of the way quickly. I haven’t spoken to her in months, and I have no intention of doing so anytime soon. All I’m doing is getting more clothes, because the rucksack Tyler had passed to me contained only some of my clothes. Most of the space in the bag was taken up by the stupid turtle Joseph gave me at the aquarium.

“Delilah.”

The voice that calls out to me is booming. I stop, because I know who it is, even without turning around.

I listen to the footsteps as they stomp up the driveway. A moment later, my dad reaches me and grabs my elbow.

“Hi, Dad,” I murmur.

“I’ve been trying to get in touch with you,” he states. He’ll have seen the messages were received and read on the app, so he knows I’ve ignored him.