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She nods slowly before looking at Ethan as he drops to his haunches on the other side of her.
“Your mom called Sawyer that day,” she explains. “She wanted his help, so she told him what happened.” Her gaze drops. “That’s what he was blackmailing me with. By December, I knew your mom wasn’t coming back. With her gone, there was no other witness. Sawyer said if I didn’t do as he asked…he could tell whatever version of the story he wanted.”
Looking up again, she wipes her own tears. “I didn’t know what to do. I let him scare me.” She shakes her head. “I’m not strong. It’s just pretend. I’m weak. I let others decide my fate every time.That’swhy I ran away. Because I thought when you caught Sawyer, he told you. I had no idea about any money. I thought you were coming to my house because you knew what I’d done to your dad. I’m such a coward.”
“Hey, hey.” I grab her face between my palms. “You still being here after what happened, standing strong and keeping on living, that’s what makes you resilient. What happened to you doesn’t define you. What others imposed on you isn’t who you are. You decide who you are, my love. That’s all up to you.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Sawyer got rid of my mom,” Ethan admits. “It worked better for his narrative.” He takes a shaky breath. “I never believed in the whole ‘she left and never came back.’ It’s just not like her.” He puts a hand on Jade’s knee. “I’m sorry she didn’t believe you at first. We do.”
Jade pinches her lips, her nose twitching. “You guys are gonna make me cry again.”
Her gaze hops from Ethan to me. “I love you, Elliot.”
My heart stops. “Say it again,” I murmur.
“I love you. I love you. I love you. I will never choose. I can’t. And you’re not second, because I’m just as in love with you as I am with him. There’s more than enough space in my heart for the both of you.”
We wait for her in bed that night. She keeps looking for something in the living room, and when she finally joins us, settling on her back between the two of us, she shows us two necklaces.
Each is a piece of Lego. A rectangle with a curved end.
“They clip together like that, look.” She puts them together, and the pieces form a heart. Undoing them, she gives them to us. “Now you know you both have an equal piece of my heart.”
We both grab our respective necklace, eyeing each other.
“Yeah, I’m not wearing that,” Ethan chuckles.
“That thing is ugly, Jade. What the fuck.”
We all burst out laughing.
“You guys are so fucking mean,” she laughs.
I give mine to Ethan and he puts both pieces on his bedside table. “We know we have a piece of your heart. No need to dress us in it. Especially when it’s that ugly.”
“Goodnight.” I yawn, grabbing Jade by the waist and pulling her against me, her back to my chest.
On the other side, Ethan faces her, a hand on her hip and his forehead practically touching hers.
In the silent room, Jade’s voice is distinct.
“If anything happens tomorrow…I love you.”
My heart skips a beat, and I know Ethan feels it too, because his hand on her hip tightens.
“I love you. Both of you,” he answers.
I take a deep breath. Tomorrow is going to be okay.
Everything is going to go smoothly, just as we planned.
“I love you, guys.”
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JADE
Roses - Awaken I am
