Chapter 351
I want him to hurt the way I’m hurting. The same way I’ve been hurting for years because of him. I want him to feel the pain that I’ve tried to bury over and over again. I want to see him break. The way he watched me break.
Silence stretches between us and then,
“You’re right, Sierra.” His voice is quiet and broken and just like that, the rage inside me stops
His agreement hits harder than any argument could have, pulling me back from that dark, suffocating place I’d sunk into.
Congratulations, Sierra, you’ve just turned into the Noah that hurt you. The voice echoes in my head.
No. I stumble back a step.
I did exactly what he did to me. He hurt me. Tore into me with words meant to wound because he was hurting and I just did the same thing.
“I—I didn’t m-mean…” My voice shakes, the words tripping over themselves. I can’t even finish the sentence.
I can’t believe that for even a second, I took pleasure in hurting someone.
“It’s okay.” Noah says almost like he’s agreeing with me. “You’re right. I am your poison. I’ve been your poison since we were kids p>
My chest tightens and I can barely breathe.
“But Sierra…” His voice softens, cracking at the edges. “I don’t want to be poison anymore. I don’t want to hurt you anymore…. I want to be your antidote. The cure that finally heals you, because you deserve healing. You deserve happiness. You deserve every good thing this world has to offer p>
He’s talking, but I’m not really hearing him anymore because my ears are ringing.
My chest is tight and panic claws its way up my throat, wrapping around it until I can’t breathe properly.
“I’m sorry,” I stammer, backing away. “I’m sorry… I need to leave p>
I don’t wait for him to respond; I just turn and basically run away from him.
I hear him calling my name behind me, but I don’t stop. I don’t turn around. I don’t look back. I just keep going and I don’t stop until I know I’m far enough away from him. Only then do I brace my hand against the railing, my fingers tightening around it as I try to steady myself.
I drag in shaky breaths, trying to get my emotions under control.
I know I’ve been unstable since everything blew up, but that’s not an excuse. It doesn’t justify what I said to him or how I wanted to destroy him.
Footsteps sound behind me, and I just assume it’s him.
“I don’t really want to talk right now, Noah,” I say, my voice drained. “Please just leave me alone p>
When he doesn’t respond, I turn to face him, only to freeze as I come face-to-face with someone I wasn’t expecting.
“Brook?” I whisper.
She steps forward slowly, and something about the look on her face makes my heart slam against my ribs because it’s all wrong and completely unhinged.
I take a step back instinctively, fear gripping me tight.
“You took everything from me,” she growls, her eyes shining with something wild.
“I didn’t take anything from you,” I stammer, my pulse roaring in my ears.
“You did,” she snaps. “It’s because of you he won’t even look at me… It’s because of you he won’t give me a chance p>
Confusion flickers through the fear.
“Who are you talking about? Noah p>
“Yes!” she screams, advancing on me.
My back nearly hits the staircase rail. I grip it tightly, glancing behind me for a split second.
“Please calm down… Don’t do anything stupid, Brook p>
She laughs a hollow and chilling sound that scrapes down my spine and settles deep in my chest.
Her eyes lock onto mine and that’s when I see the dark twisted intent shining behind her blue eyes.
“He’ll look at me,” she whispers, a sinister smile curling on her lips, her next words chilling my heart. “Once you and that bastard are gone p>