Broken Beautiful Hearts(11)

“Excuse me? Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m not one of your fangirls begging you to hook up with me while you’re all sweaty after a fight.”

“I’m talking to you like you’re my girlfriend, who won’t cut me a break.” The muscles along the back of his neck bulge. When did they get so big?

“I’m not your girlfriend anymore.”

He bristles. “Stop saying that. We’re not breaking up.”

“Even if you hadn’t been lying to me—which you have—do you think I could stand by and watch you poison yourself? I care about you.”

“You care about me?” He jerks back as if I slapped him. “You’re supposed to love me, not care about me. Or was that bullshit?”

“It’s a figure of speech. Get a grip.” But he doesn’t have one anymore. I see that now. “This conversation isn’t going anywhere.”

I try to walk away, but Reed catches my arm. “We can leave together.”

“There is no we anymore.”

“You can’t break up with me because of this, Peyton.” His voice wavers. “I need you.”

“I’m sorry.” A knot forms in my throat. I turn toward the walkway that leads up to the house. I can see it over his shoulder. But Reed tugs on my arm. “Let go.”

“Not until you say we’ll work this out. That you love me and we’re still together,” he pleads.

“I can’t.” I try to pull away, a little harder this time.

Reed’s grip tightens and his fingers dig into my skin.

“I’m not messing around anymore, Reed. Let go.” I jerk my arm and he pulls me toward him with so much force that I hit his chest. He releases my arm, but I can’t get past him. He’s too close.

His nostrils flare and he’s breathing fast. “Yesterday you were kissing me. And now you don’t want me to touch you?”

He jabs at my shoulder with his fingers and pushes me back a few steps.

“You’re pushing me? I don’t think so.” I try to slip past him, but no matter which way I go he’s right there blocking my path.

“You’re breaking my heart, Peyton. You know that, right? And you don’t even give a shit.” He pushes me again, harder this time. I glance over my shoulder. The stairs are behind me.

“Stop it! The steps are right there!” I look around for help, but I can’t see past the hedges.

“After seven months, that’s all you have to say to me?” His mouth forms a hard line.

I catch a glimpse of Reed’s arm moving through the air. Rocketing toward me.

His palm slams against my chest and it knocks the wind out of me.

The ground seems to slide out from under my feet, and I fall backward. I swing my arms, trying to regain my balance. But it’s too late.

I’m already falling.…

My stomach plummets.

There’s no up or down.

Colors blur and sounds bleed together.

My shoulder hits the step first, absorbing some of the impact. I grab for the retaining wall, but I can’t catch ahold of anything. I’m half rolling, half skidding down the remaining steps. I see the ground, and I put my hands out in front of me to break my fall. But my knee hits the ground first.

My kneecap smashes against the concrete.

A shot of pain hits the back of my knee and splinters up my leg. A scream rips from my throat, and I manage to roll onto my side.

Reed is standing at the top of the steps, with his arms crossed. He shifts in and out of focus. I blink hard, and my vision sharpens.

For the first time, I see something different in Reed’s eyes when he looks at me.

Rage.

I try to process what’s happening, but my thoughts are jumbled. All I want to do is get away from him. I shift my weight to try to move. Pain shoots down the back of my leg behind my knee. I cry out, but my voice sounds strange, like it belongs to someone else. Like I’m not crumpled in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the person who put me here.

“Are you okay?” someone calls out.

I turn my head and see two people running toward me. That’s when I realize that I’m lying on the sidewalk where the steps and the retaining wall end, and now people can see me.

“A girl fell down the stairs,” someone shouts.

The pain shoots down the back of my knee again. Strangers crowd around me. At least I’m not alone with Reed.

He jogs down the steps, playing the concerned boyfriend.

If that asshole doesn’t stay away from me—

“Peyton? Oh my god!” It’s Tess.

Everything will be okay now.

Tess rushes over and kneels beside me. She brushes the hair out of my eyes. “What happened?”

“We were arguing,” Reed says. The rage is gone. Now he looks panicked. “Peyton shoved past me, and I guess she lost her balance.”

The words hit me like bricks.

“I tried to grab her arm, but I wasn’t fast enough.” Reed hesitates as if he can’t bear to say the next part.

“And she fell.”





CHAPTER 5

Shattered

AT FIRST, THE words don’t make sense.

I look at Tess. “I didn’t fall. Reed pushed me.”