Eye for an Eye

Chapter 22: Moving On.

"I can't do it," I whispered, my voice barely audible, thick with emotion.

"Yes, you can," Jace's voice was firm, but gentle.

I shook my head, the weight of everything pressing down on me, suffocating me. "No, I can't, Jace. You don't understand. I loved him... I loved him with every part of me. I was cruel, I chose West over him, and then he... he died trying to save me. After everything I did, after breaking his heart, he gave his life for mine." My voice cracked as I screamed, the sky above us rumbling with thunder.

My hands trembled with anger, regret, and the aching emptiness inside me. Everything felt like it was crumbling. I missed my little girl so much, but it wasn't just that—my heart ached because of the man I had lost. The man I never got the chance to make things right with. The man who died because of me.

Before I knew it, Jace had grasped my trembling hands, pulling me close until I was standing right in front of him, his emerald eyes locked onto mine.

"Listen to me, Hermosa," he said softly but with an urgency that made my breath catch. "He knew you loved him. God, that idiot never stopped talking about you. He never stopped loving you, even at the end."

I looked over at Callum's headstone, the sight of it making my chest tighten painfully. But when I looked back at Jace, his expression was serious, unwavering.

"You need to remember that people make mistakes, Carter," he continued, his voice steady and calm. "You learn from them. But you also have to accept that the man you loved is gone. You can't carry this pain with you forever."

Tears blurred my vision as they streamed down my face, mingling with the rain that had started to pour down in sheets as if the sky was weeping with me. I shook my head, but Jace wasn't done.

"But most importantly," he said, his voice lowering, "you need to forgive yourself. Callum wouldn't want you to live like this. He would want you to live your life, to keep going, to heal. And he'd want you to kick West's arse for betraying you."

His voice softened then, the words almost a whisper. "Y nosotros."

I didn't know what to say, or even how to feel. The rain was coming down harder now, the night flashing with bright streaks of lightning, making me flinch as each thunderous crack split the air. I felt exposed, and raw, but Jace was there, standing strong beside me, holding my hands. And somehow, that made the storm feel a little less overwhelming.

"Why do you like me?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, raw and unfiltered.

I couldn't help but wonder. I'd slept with two of his friends, had been used by Mason, who had a hand in my brother's death while keeping him locked away. My mother hated me enough to wish me dead. West had only ever seen me as a pawn for his power. My stalker was a fool who couldn't see beyond his own ego.

And worst of all, my daughter was out there, somewhere, with my father and uncle, probably forgetting who I was with every passing day. The weight of it all felt unbearable. And now, I might have to marry Xavier just to take down West.

It all came back to him. West

He smiled softly, a quiet chuckle escaping him as he shook his head. His fingers brushed my hair from my face, his touch gentle but certain.

"You are amazing, Hermosa," he said, his voice steady, comforting. "You don't have to hide from me. I know about Caleb and Oliver, but I also know your heart is still healing. I understand."

I looked away, a wave of shame washing over me, the weight of everything I'd done crashing down. I felt dirty like I'd lost myself somewhere along the way. But before I could sink further into that self-loathing, Jace gently lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.