Fated Series. Book #2
"Be possessive of me, own me, keep me, because if you do then nothing and no one else can." - Maddox.
My name is Maddox Vallero, and I'm dead.
Well, that's not quite true. I'm alive in the breathing, walking, talking sense-but...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Chapter 28 Ruined Beyond Repair Sophia
The silk robe slipped down the side of my bare leg as I sat motionless on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. I should be in the shower by now, should already be moving, but exhaustion kept me rooted in place. It was six twenty. Normally, I'd be well into my morning routine, coffee already brewing, my mind locked onto the day's schedule. But today, my body felt like it had been put through a marathon, and my mind was in shambles, as if I'd just survived a six-hour therapy session. A dull headache had already begun clawing its way through my skull.
Maybe it was because I spent most of the night sitting outside Jax's bedroom, drowning in guilt as his cries echoed through the walls.
Sleep training is a bitch.
I've never felt worse in my entire life
Mom guilt? A real and serious thing.
We have a whole bedtime routine. Dinner, bath, pajamas, a book. By the time I tuck him in, all seems well. He falls asleep just fine, but somewhere in the middle of the night, he wakes up in full-blown panic, his wails turning into something raw and desperate. He won't stop until I either bring him into my bed or let him cry himself into exhaustion. And God, it kills me. Every time. My entire body aches to hold him, to soothe him, to take away whatever fears have his little heart clenched in terror. But I know if I cave, we'll end up right back where we started—him curled against me, never learning to sleep on his own.
I knew all this. I understood it logically. It still didn't stop me from feeling like the worst mother in the world.
But if I was being honest with myself, that wasn't the only reason I barely slept.
Even after Jax finally quieted, I sat there in the darkness, my back against the wall, body slumped, exhaustion dragging me under. And still, my thoughts wouldn't stop. They swirled and pulsed, Maddox's name filling the spaces between my ribs, wrapping around my lungs. Even apart, I could still feel him. Even heartbroken, devastated, tired, and alone—I loved him.
I should be stronger than this. I shouldn't let a man be the thing that breaks me. But Maddox was no ordinary man. I shouldn't be wallowing over a breakup. But Maddox wasn't just forgettable.
I might be putting up a great front at the office, but that's only because I've mastered the art of keeping my emotions locked behind an impenetrable wall. No one gets to see past my steeled expression. Especially not him. Maddox can't know I'm hurting. He can't know how badly I'm unraveling under the weight of this mess.
But it's fucken Maddox. And yesterday, my unshaken façade cracked when he found a way to break me all over again.
Looking at me with those storm-ridden eyes, heavy with truth, he mouthed that he missed me.
I almost staggered back. Almost. But I managed to hold my ground, barely. His confession tore through me, cut me so deep I had to flee his office and lock myself in the bathroom for an extra five minutes just to breathe. Was I pissed that he ignored my wishes and laid his feelings bare in front of everyone? I wish I were. I wish it were that simple. But all I feel is aching, longing, and an unbearable weight pressing into my chest.
