My nerves come undone and I feel dizziness wash over me. My head grows light, and suddenly, I lose consciousness as darkness washes over my vision. The next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground. Nurses quickly rush to my side, and that's the last thing I remember before waking up in a hospital bed.
"You're awake," Jace said beside me.
I look at the dark room. "What time is it?" I get up in haste, all I can think about is Max.
"Lucy, for fucks sake!" Jace yells.
I watch him, eyes wide.
"What's wrong with you?" Jace mutters, rising to leave.
"I'm sorry," I blurt out.
"Sorry won't cut it," Jace retorts, a disdainful look piercing through me.
"My mother is in town," I confess, hoping for understanding. Jace's expression shifts to bewilderment.
"And that justifies hurting me after I opened up about me... about my parents?" Jace shakes his head in disgust.
Guilt knots my stomach. Jace moves to leave. "Jace, wait," I call after him, desperation in my voice. "Don't go."
I don't want to lose him, yet my words have wounded him. Guilt weighs heavy on my chest. "Jace, please," I sob, "My stepdad tried to rape me, and my own mother took his side."
Jace halts in his tracks.
"Those words weren't supposed to come out like that; it was mindless. I take full blame, and I don't want to be the kind of person who hurts you, especially when I love you this much." I'm stunned by my own confession. Confusion clouds my feelings—did I truly mean it, or was it just a desperate plea?
A fleeting image of rain pouring down, him in wet clothes, a jacket over my head. That was the day I fell for him.
"My anger was misplaced." I pull my knees to my chest, bury my head in my arms, and sob. When I look up for Jace, he's gone. My heart shatters.
The minutes went by, I found myself contemplating whether to tell Dad about Max talking to our mother, I decided against it, opting to talk with Max first.
My father stands in the doorway, and my heart skips a beat. Wiping away unwanted tears, I whisper, "Dad?"
He walks over, eyes filled with worry. "How are you, Lulu?" His gentle smile offers a sense of security, a rare comfort.
"Not so good," I admit, holding back tears.
He hugs me, and for the first time in a long while, I feel secure. Swallowing hard, I know I must open up about Jace, a secret I've kept for too long.
"Dad, there's something I need to tell you," I confess, my voice quivering.
Sitting beside me, concern etches his face. "You can tell me anything. I'm here for you."
Taking a deep breath, "When I went for a walk the day we moved in, it was because I was thinking about how Mom took—" I break off, the difficulty of the words weighing on me. "I just needed fresh air. Then I met Jace, and everything changed. I hardly thought about what happened, and I just wanted to know him. He liked me too, but I broke up with Jace because Emily was worried about your job if the relationship didn't work out. I had to push him away, and now he hates me." I sob.
My father wipes away my tears. "How could anyone ever hate you? You are more precious than all the gems on this earth. If he doesn't forgive you, someone better will come along and love you as you deserve. The first heartbreak is always the hardest, but you're a strong girl."
Tears well up, and I embrace my father. "You really think so?" I ask.
As I leave, I find Emily waiting outside the room, having heard everything. I feel relief rather than anger.
She sincerely apologizes as we drive home. "I didn't realize how much Jace meant to you," her voice heavy with regret.
"How could you have known?" I glance at my shoes.
"You're right. I was incredibly selfish, and I am terribly sorry, Lucy. I haven't been the best to you," she admits.
"I'm sorry too. I should have been more honest with you and Dad. I shouldn't have fought you guys on the therapy. I clearly need it," I confess.
"It's not too late," she assures.
"With what?" I ask.
"With therapy, with Dad and me, us as a family. It's never too late, especially when you're this young. I know I am not your mother, but I am going to try to be that for you if you let me."
Silence lingers. "Could we start over?" I finally ask.
"I'd like that a lot, Lucy." She smiles genuinely, and for the first time, I feel like I'm part of a happy family.
I ask Emily to drop me off at Andrew's house, and without prying, she senses my intentions.
Knocking on the door, Andrew opens it. "I was just coming to see you, beautiful." He kisses me, our last kiss.
"Andrew, can we talk?" I ask, concern evident in his expression.
"Why, what's wrong, Lucy?" he questions.
"I spoke with Jace," I reveal, watching his features darken.
"What did he say to you?" he stammers.
Trying to hold back tears, I confess, "We need to break up."
He scoffs, taken aback. "You know?"
Confused, I frown. "I know what?"
"Lucy, it was a stupid mistake," Andrew claims.
"Mistake?" I question.
"You think I wanted that to happen? I loved Caroline, and Jace was such a coward," Andrew expresses, disgust etched on his face.
Watching him, it suddenly clicks. "You're the reason why Caroline killed herself," I say, my voice faint.
"All I did was spread a rumour that Jace cheated on her. How was I supposed to know she would hurt herself? She was my best friend. If it's anyone's fault, it's Jace for not being man enough to put down his foot," Andrew grunts.
Shocked, I bring my hand to my mouth.
"Lucy, you're not listening," he grabs my shoulder.
"I am listening," I look up at him, realization dawning. "You spread that rumour so Caroline would run to you, didn't you?" His eyes widen, and his grip tightens.
"You don't know anything," he retorts.
"Let go of me, Andrew," I plead, his grip growing tighter.
His eyes shift, and he releases me. Turning away, I face Melody.
"You spread that rumor?" she asks. "So Jace didn't sleep with that cheerleader?" Melody unravels.
"No, Mel, that isn't the case," Andrew defends himself.
"Stop lying!" Melody yells. "All this time, you made Jace look like the villain. But now I see who the real villain is, and that's you, Andrew." Melody shakes her head.
"You hate Jace!" Andrew shouts. "So how could you ever want to take his side?"
"I did hate Jace... because I thought he killed my best friend," Melody starts crying, "when it was my brother all along."