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“We need to stay and fight this!” Cyrus barks.
“You will die,” I argue, and he throws me a glare before Asher gives his opinion. My phone vibrates. Faye has been texting me all morning, and I haven’t replied, so I check her message—but it’s not her. It’s an unknown number. Feeling sick, I open it.
Unknown:She got what she deserved.
There’s a picture. It’s her, my mum. She’s in a car, alive and screaming. I swallow the bile as another one comes through.
Unknown:They aren’t what you think. They are using you, hurting you.
Then another image. It’s of Bray kissing another girl at a party, their bodies pressed together. It’s blurry but still recognisable. My heart cracks as jealousy and anger rise to compete with pain before I think it through.
He wouldn’t, I know that, he just wouldn’t, but it doesn’t stop the unbelievable amount of agony pulling me apart.
He wouldn’t cheat on me. Would he?
Yet here is an image. The closer I look, though, the more I question if it’s even real. But that’s when it hits me—it’s what I need. They are still arguing, and they won’t leave... so maybe I need to go alone and draw him away from them.
This will be the key. I push down my turbulent emotions and pocket my phone before stepping back into the hall. They don’t notice, so I turn on bare feet and run.
I rush upstairs, grab the bag, and shove the rest of my stuff in it. A plan quickly rolls through my head as I get my keys and boots and race downstairs. Each step is like a hammer against my already cracking heart, but I know I have to do this. I have to save them, and to do that I have to leave them.
When I stop at the door, they all become silent, glancing from me to the bag.
“I’m going,” I croak out before clearing my throat. I know what I’ll do next will break their hearts, but it’s the only way. I show them the picture. “I fucking hate you all. You cheated on me. You’re no better than anyone else. I’m leaving, and you aren’t following me!” I turn and head to the door. They do follow, of course, and shout my name.
“It’s not real!” Bray begs, reaching for my arm after seeing the photo. He’s right, it’s probably staged, but I don’t care. It’s the excuse I need to break their hearts so they will let me go. Because they would let me be free of them if it hurt me to stay. If they hurt me.
I yank my arm away and turn. “Looks pretty fucking real.”
“My love, let’s talk this through—”
“Fuck talking,” I snarl.
“Baby girl,” Cyrus starts, but I step outside. “Blair, don’t you take one more fucking step. Stop acting like a fucking brat!”
“Brat?” I growl, turning to glare at them. We are good at this, arguing. I’ve got to see it. “Because I don’t want to stick around with someone who’s been fucking other women behind my back? Excuse me!” I push Bray away when he reaches for me again, and I have to avert my eyes from his broken, kicked puppy dog eyes and the tears trailing down his face.
“Please, Blair,” he implores. “Let’s sort this out. Don’t leave us, don’t leave me.” He drops to his knees and stares up at me pleadingly.
Grinding my teeth to stop my tears, I turn away. “Fuck this, fuck all of you. I should have known better than to get into bed with three assholes who run drugs on their daddy’s money.” It’s a low blow, and not what I believe, but I want them to hate me, not pine after me.
“Blair,” Bray sobs.
“Don’t,” Cyrus spits. “Let her go if that’s what she wants so badly. Big, scary, brave Blair is running because she’s afraid and using excuses. Well, fuck that and fuck you. You don’t get to hurt him because you’re a vindictive little cunt.”
“I think that’s the other way around, stepbrother. I never touched anyone else, only you three. I should have known. If you pass me around, who else do you fuck?” That makes him flinch, so I turn and rush to my car, throwing my bag inside.
I need to leave to save them. I don’t want to hurt them, but I twist the knife deeper, knowing it’s the only way to cut them off completely. But I will always love them, will always be Crew, even as they detest me. I can handle their hate as long as they are alive.
If I’m gone, and I’m out there hunting him, then they are safe, and I won’t let him touch them.
Cyrus follows me outside as Bray sobs in the doorway with Asher holding him. They’re both sensitive, and they don’t want to hurt me.
“I know why you’re doing this,” Cyrus snarls.
I ignore him, and he slams his hand onto the hood of the car.
“I won’t beg you to stay. I won’t make some grand confession that will change your mind. This isn’t a movie; this is real life. If you want to go, go. I won’t force you to stay, but know if you leave, you’re walking away from the only people who care about you because you’re scared—not because you don’t love us, but because you’re scared. You’re a coward, Blair. A fucking pathetic coward.”
