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“Harlow…” Apollo started.
I shook my head before I walked out. “No, Apollo. I deserve better.”
I walked away from both of them. Two men who held different pieces of my heart. And no amount of knowing I deserved better made it easier to walk away without them. It hurt. It fucking hurt so much. I couldn’t remember anything hurting like that.
Not when Valen had discarded me; I’d been in serious denial about my feelings for him and the depth of my need for him.
Not when I’d heard Apollo had cheated; I’d been relieved because it meant I was free. Emotionally at least.
I suddenly viscerally knew what the phrase ‘heartbroken’ meant. I was sure I could feel the pieces of my heart actually breaking. It wasn’t so much shattering as it was fraying and dissolving into nothing, like ashes blown away on a mournful wind.
I made it back to my dorm with my head held high and my eyes dry.
But once the door was closed, I fell to the ground. The dam crashed open, and I was floored with the weight of the flood that battered me. My world felt turned upside down, over and over like I was caught in a riptide and couldn’t find my way to the surface. Every part of me felt bruised and I wept until I felt like nothing more than a hollow carcass on the carpet.
Florence finally found me in the foetal position in the middle of the floor.
She bundled me up in her arms and I cried again. She had no questions. She let me get it all out until I didn’t think I had any more to give and kept going still.
When the tears finally subsided and I felt like I wasn’t going to start again…just yet, I looked up at her and saw nothing but support. Well, support and a desire to hurt whoever had done this to me.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly.
I knew that cost her quite the effort. Florence was the nosiest person I knew. She was dying to know what had happened, who had hurt me, and where to aim her fist, or whose jewels to aim her foot at. But she wouldn’t make me if I didn’t want to or couldn’t.
I shook my head, but not because I didn’t want to talk about it.
“That’s okay,” she said, holding me close.
“No,” I sniffled. “I mean…” I took a deep breath. “It was both of them. It was me. It… It’s all over. For good.”
I could feel the questions buzzing in her, but she didn’t press.
“This Magdalen attacked me–”
“What in the actual fuck?”
I gave her a damp smile that suggested she keep her mouth shut and she’d find out.
“Sorry,” she said, trying to hide a smile of her own. “Continue.”
“She full on came at me. To the point even Valen lifted his hand to her. Marco grabbed him before he could hit her, and Gage and Fender grabbed the Magdalen, but Apollo noticed. Apollo noticed Valen was going to hit a woman. For me. Then Valen comes up and asks if I’m okay–”
“After everything he said?”
I nodded. “After everything he said. And while he’sdefendingcaring, Apollo overheard him say that he can never know. So naturally, Apollo’s putting more pieces together. Then! Fuck, Floss…”
“What?” she asked. “Don’t end there!”
I took a breath. I wanted to tell her, but I also needed strength. “They fought. Well, Apollo hit Valen and got mad Valen wouldn’t hit him back–”
“Valk would have fucking killed him.”
I nodded. “Right? Anyway, they’re both blaming each other for the Magdalen attacking me…and Valen lets slip that Apollo fucked her–”
Florence rolled her eyes. “Was she feeling sour about being replaced?”
“Last night,” I finished, and Florence’s eyes bugged out of her head.
