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“We were wishing Pen a happy birthday,” Zayn says cautiously.
“It’s your birthday?!” Jeb exclaims, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me against his side, planting a kiss on my head. I hear Dax growl, and out of the corner of my eye see York lay his hand on Dax’s arm. Xeno’s nostrils flare and Zayn looks utterly lost.
“Why didn’t you say so?”
Because my sicko brother was confessing his deepest desires and threatening my sister’s life, and you were busy shooting the brains out of one of your employees.
“It didn’t seem all that important at the time,” I whisper, cringing as his fingers start stroking up and down my arm.
“Tiny?” Xeno asks, looking at me with confusion.
I want to tell him what’s happened. I want to tell them all, but everything’s stacked against us. David won’t just kill me and my sister, he’ll kill them too if I defy him. Jeb’s no different. I tell the Breakers about his secret then we’re all dead. That man’s lifeless body is proof enough that Jeb has no qualms ending someone’s life without any thought or care. He didn’t even flinch.
“What, Xeno?” Jeb snaps as the tension rises. He’s getting bored and I’m running out of time.
“I have a question for Pen, do you mind…?” he asks Jeb, maintaining the level of respect Jeb has come to expect from his crew members.
“Whatever…” Jeb waves his hand and leans back in his seat. He’s fucking loving this, and I hate him. I hate him as much as I hate my brother for putting me in this position.
“Tiny, you remember what I asked you to do?” he says, staring at me intently, just like the others are doing.
“Yes,” I whisper, still clutching the necklace in my hand. My heart thunders painfully. I know where this is going and it’s killing me. Right now, part of me wishes that Jeb had shot me because this, this is too fucking hard.
“It was a mistake. You don’t have to do that anymore. You can have what you want, Tiny.”
There’s so much hope in his eyes, in all their eyes and I can’t help it, my lip starts to wobble, my eyes tearing up. I think about our friendship, about my love for them all. I think about my innocent little sister oblivious to the threat hanging over her head. I think about my brother and his sick, twisted heart. I think about the man with his brains blown out in a room not far from where we’re sitting now, and I think about Jeb’s threat. Knowing I have no other choice, I take a deep breath and harden my heart so I can break theirs. It’s too late.
“No, we can’t. I’ve made my choice,” I say, placing the jewellery box back on the table and sliding it away from me.
“And what have you chosen, Titch?” York asks me, his voice even, steady, careful.
I press my eyes shut, forcing back the tears. “None of you. We’re over.”
“What?!” Zayn snaps, shock making his voice sharp, brittle,broken.
“You don’t mean that, Kid,” Dax adds. There’s a crack in his voice that cuts right into my heart.
“Titch…” York begins, but I refuse to look at him.
“It’s over. I’m done with you all.” I swallow, hardening my features and forcing down every last ounce of emotion deep inside. “This was never going to work. At least now you get to screw as many women as you like without fear of me getting in the way.” Bitterness seeps into my words, an ugly and cruel mistress.
“No!” Xeno’s fist crashes against the table, making me jump. “What are you doing?”
“I’m moving on. Isn’t this what you wanted?” I accuse, forcing myself to forget the fact that there’s a necklace sitting on the table that tells me otherwise.
Xeno presses his mouth into a hard line, shock rendering him speechless.
“Titch, what are you saying?” York shakes his head as though trying to clear his thoughts and get a hold of the situation, of me.
Biting on my tongue, I force myself to look at him and pour all of my hate for my brother and David into this one hard stare. He needs to believe me. They all do. “Idon’tlove any of you. I don’t think I ever really did. Don’t embarrass yourselves by chasing after me because I’m done. Understand? We. Are. Over.”
All four of them flinch, but I make sure to keep my emotions locked down. I don’t buckle under the weight of their obvious hurt, their shock. I refuse to acknowledge the angry tear glinting in Dax’s eye or the disappointment in York and Zayn’s stare, and I certainly don’t entertain the deep well of pain that emits from Xeno’s gaze.
“You heard her. Penelope has made her choice, haven’t you, pretty girl,” Jeb purrs, brushing his lips against the top of my head, before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and guiding me out of the booth. As we walk away, it feels as though every single person in the club is staring at us both. I bet they’re thinking the same thing as my Breakers. I’m Jeb’s now.
With a broken heart and a heavy soul I leave my Breakers behind.
I don’t look back at them, and they don’t follow.
