Invisible String (James Beaufort) x Maxton Hall

Chapter Seven: Deep Water

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" I'll use you as a warning sign

That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind
And I'll use you as a focal point
So I don't lose sight of what I want
And I've moved further than I thought I could
But I missed you more than I thought I would
And I'll use you as a warning sign

That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind"

I Found - Amber Run

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Seven:

- Everly -

After hearing Jasper's words, a shockwave of deceit hit me. Think, Everly, I told myself. Did you hear a noise downstairs? Yes, you ignored it. Before you passed out, did you see footsteps behind your door? Yes, you did.

I broke away from James and rushed toward the cabins, collapsing against the bathroom door, forgetting to lock it. A panic attack hit me hard. Had I underestimated how far Jasper would go to destroy my life? "Fuck," I yelped, pressing my feet down on the tile floor. A rush of pain surged through me, and I lifted my foot to see it slashed open, likely from a piece of broken champagne glass I'd stepped on in my hasty exit. Blood dripped onto the tile, and I just watched it. Maybe I deserved it. Maybe I deserved all of it. I didn't deserve James. How he fell for me, I'll never know.

Pain has been my constant companion. The pain of silence while my parents slammed doors and screamed at each other. The pain of hiding in my room, confined by my curfew. The pain of knowing that, no matter how much I love him, I might never be enough for James. Maybe Ellie was right that night I found her and James kissing. I'll never be what he needs. I'm damaged, and everyone can see it. Blood dripped onto the white tile of the bathroom floor, and I just watched it, doing nothing.