The Forever Broken (Broken #3) Read Free Page A

Everything
is coming out wrong.
    He lets out a defeated breath and grabs his bag. “Look,
I’m not going to pressure you into something, but don’t act like what we have
is the same fun you have with random hook-ups. I need to get to class. Talk to
Sophia and let me know what she says.”
    He leaves the room without another word. I want to chase
after him and tell him he could never be just a random hook-up.
    Before we ever took things in this direction we were
close, family. I’d never just think of him as a lay.
    My head hurt even more now. I was digging myself further
into a hole.
     

FOUR
     
Sophia
     
    Come over to mine after class?
     
    I debate Blay’s text. I was tired and just wanted to curl
into a ball before I had to get ready for the party tonight. Maybe I could get
what I need from him and not need to go to the party?
    It amazes me that he doesn’t notice the vacant cave my
carcass has become… does he hear the distance echo of my heartbeat?
    What did he see in me apart from the fact I had a vagina
and tits?
     I would say he was using me like everyone else tries to
but he wasn’t, he was gentle and showed affection where I didn’t deserve it.
Plus, he could get what I give him from anyone.
    He was gorgeous, funny and popular…what was he even doing
with me?
    Nothing, you’re a dirty little secret of his.
     I knew my brother and him were becoming something and
yet I still seduced him. I was an ugly, dirty slut and perhaps that’s why he
wanted me.
     
    I reply to his text that I’ll be there in an hour and
reread the start of my poem knowing I’ll never show people how dark it is
inside my mind.
     
    My hands dangle on flimsy wrists,
    Blood draining into crimson mist.
    Hollow soul inside an empty tomb
    No life beating inside a rotten womb
     
    Do you see me, am I here?
    My breath on the wind, a flutter in your ear.
    I’m standing beside you, hiding from my fear
     
    If it hurts this much it must be real.
    I see them, hear…close my eyes and feel.
    It must be true,
    I’ll never heal.
    They’re killing me,
    Destroying my will.
    I’ll jump, dive, fall to my relief.
    My soul is lost, stolen by a dirty thief.
     
    “Hey.”
    I startle and scrunch the paper up in my hand and stuff
it into my bag.
    “Hi,” I reply to Kelly, my childhood friend who was more
Quinn’s friend than mine.
    “So I heard you got laid last night?”
    My mouth drops open and then closed as I shake my head
and look around, willing her to shut the hell up. God, who says that just
randomly? I don’t want her to see me flustered so I play it off.  “Seriously?
We’re in college, who didn’t get laid would be a better question,” I tell her, hating
that this was even public knowledge.
    I knew it wouldn’t be long before she was divulging this
information to Quinn, and the last thing I needed from him was a lecture about
being promiscuous.  
    “Me,” she bellows, answering my question about who
doesn’t get laid. She winces when all eyes turn to us. Perfect, I’ll be the
rumor on everyone’s lips before the end of the day.
    I shove my things in my bag and leave her sitting staring
after me. I can’t be bothered with her judgement or giddiness about someone
else getting laid. I hated what I’d done and wasn’t going to sit there and act
like it was the best thing since Apple was invented. In truth, Miles and his
friend may want to boast about having a three-way but they both got way too
excited too quickly and put in a less then par performance.
    I ignore the sniggers when I go past Brianna and her
better-than-thou friend Misty.
    Brianna was Miles’ little sister, and an airhead, who
loved to know everything and spread it everywhere.
    I don’t want Blaydon to know how rotten I am.
     
    ***
     
    The cool air licks at my warmed cheeks as I step outside.
I hope for rain but the sky is clear. There’s something about the rain that I
like, perhaps it’s because it shields me from everyone else. When it