Mended

30

Caleb's POV

I pretended not to notice the way Izzy's eyes fell on me every other minute, her gaze lingering on the side of my face as if she was silently pleading with me to turn around and look at her. Each time I proved that I wouldn't, she turned her focus back to the dark road ahead of us, but it never stayed there long.

I didn't know where we were going. I hadn't been aware of much ever since she'd grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the apartment that had now become a place I wasn't sure I wanted to go back to ever again.

All I remembered was that Izzy had forced me to get into the passenger seat of my car while she'd gotten into the driver's, and then she'd begun driving. Maybe she had spoken a few words or asked a few questions along the way or maybe we'd both been silent this entire ride. I wasn't sure.

I wasn't sure of anything other than the fact that someone I'd considered not just my brother by blood, but also my best friend, had hurt me in a way I'd never believed he would.

But now, as the reminder of what he had said to me echoed through my mind, leaving behind a void I had only started to heal a while ago, I wondered if a part of me had expected it all along.

Everyone and everything in this world had turned on me and my family. Maybe I was the fool to think that it would stop with us. Maybe I was the fool to believe that even the people you loved the most in the world didn't have the capacity to hurt you.

"Caleb."

I slowly snapped back to reality when I realized Izzy was calling my name. A quick look out the window told me that she had stopped driving, and we were parked near the docks we often came to when we wanted to be near the ocean. There was a path nearby that led to the beach, which I doubted would be occupied by anyone but us at this time of the night.

"I thought we could spend some time here," Izzy spoke quietly, her voice hoarse. I looked over at her. "If you want."

"Sure." I tried to say more; anything else to try and alleviate some of the hurt and worry she had pooling in her tired grey gaze as she watched me, but ultimately I failed.

I didn't have the energy to speak. To try and make someone else feel better right now even though this person was someone I loved more than anything.

Izzy and I were silent as we slipped out of the car and started making our way towards the path. It wasn't long before I began to hear the unforgiving waves of the sea crashing against the shore, the sound almost soothing as we approached nearer and nearer. The night was still dark, so even when we approached the sand, the water looked pitch black instead of the deep blue it usually was.

"I'm really sorry."

My attention drifted from the dark horizon beyond us to Izzy, her words slowly registering. Her head remained down as she walked beside me, every inch of her posture appearing defeated. "What?"

When her eyes met mine, I saw that they were glistening with unshed tears. Slowly, I came to a stop on the sand. She did the same. "I'm sorry," Izzy repeated, her voice breaking. My heart constricted. "I didn't mean to mess everything up. If I hadn't come over, Ethan would have never said that—" she broke off, a sob catching in her throat. She masked it quickly, not letting herself break fully as she continued with a trembling voice. "It isn't true. What he said—it's not true. I know he doesn't mean it either, but that doesn't make it okay. I just want you to know though that what I told him was true."