𝐅𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 [𝟏𝟖+]

34

7k words and I'm not kidding. I want comments. So I know that you're invested in this story...

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| present |

The memories hit me like a tidal wave—violent, chaotic, and so vivid that for a moment, I couldn't tell if they were happening now or if they were just echoes of the past. My knees buckled under the weight of it all. My chest felt tight, my breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps as the enormity of what I'd done surged to the forefront of my mind.

It was too much. It was suffocating.

"I remember," I whispered, the words barely making it past my lips. My voice was hoarse, raw, as though the truth had clawed its way out of me. It wasn't relief that followed—it was guilt. It was a regret. The realization hit me like a physical blow to my stomach, making me stagger where I stood.

Cyrus didn't say a word. He didn't rush to fill the silence or offer me empty reassurances. Instead, he just stood there, watching me, his eyes steady, his expression unreadable. I could feel his gaze on me, waiting, as if giving me time to make sense of the chaos inside my head.

When I finally lifted my eyes to meet his, I felt the sharp sting of tears running down my face. The words spilled out before I could stop them. "I remember why you hated me," I choked, my voice breaking under the weight of the truth. My legs gave out, and before I could hit the ground, he caught me. I collapsed against him, my body trembling uncontrollably.

"I don't hate you anymore, Wild one," he said, his voice low and measured, with no warmth but no malice, either. The simple honesty in his words made me tremble harder. I could hear the steadiness in his tone, the control. It was a contrast to the whirlwind of emotions tearing through me, and for just a moment, it steadied me.

But then the floodgates opened again. The words, the guilt, the fear—all of it came rushing out, unstoppable. "You will when you know what I did," I sobbed, clutching at his shirt like it was the only thing tethering me to the world. "I hurt them... I hurt my family. How can they forgive me for this?" My voice cracked, the desperation clawing its way out of my throat.

Cyrus rested his hand on the back of my head, firm but gentle, like an anchor. His other arm tightened around me, holding me steady as I completely unraveled in his arms.

"Stay still," he said, his tone calm but commanding. It wasn't a request—it was an order. And for some reason, I obeyed. I clung to him as the sobs wracked my body, my mind spiraling with memories and emotions that I couldn't control.

I don't know how long we stood there like that—me, falling apart, and him, steady as ever. When the storm inside me finally began to quiet, he shifted slightly, his breath brushing against my temple. There was no urgency, no impatience. Only the quiet, solid presence of him, like a rock standing against the tide.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his hands strong but careful as he assessed my state. And then, without a word, he scooped me up in his arms as though I weighed nothing. I buried my face in his chest, too weak and too ashamed to argue, my hands clutching at the fabric of his shirt. The house was silent when we entered, the weight of it pressing down on me like a physical force. I couldn't bring myself to look at anything as he carried me upstairs. When we reached the bedroom, he set me down on the bed with a gentleness that didn't match his usually stern demeanor.

"Breathe, Wild one," he said, his voice quiet but firm as he sat behind me.

"I ruined everything," I whispered, my voice shaking. The words felt too big for my chest, too heavy to say aloud. But once they were out, they wouldn't stop. "I ruined everything, Cyrus. I almost killed my brother. I tried to shoot him to save Romeo. I thought I was protecting him, but I—" My voice broke, and I dissolved into sobs again. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought love would make it okay, but it didn't. I was stupid. I was so, so stupid."