Tattoos: COMPLETED ✔

Chapter 74

My head hurts. The lump in my throat hurts. My chest hurts. Everything just fucking hurts.

I want to cry, but I know if I do, every emotion I'm suppressing is going to hit me all at once, and I'm afraid I won't be able to survive it this time. Everything that I felt when I found Tobias with another women, is what I feel right now except it's a million times worse because I truly believed Jace would never hurt me.

Sure, he has said some horrible things to me, and we've had our differences, but I'm not talking about that kind of hurt, I'm talking about the heart shattering, mind numbing, crippling pain that can only be caused by someone you love.

That's right, I loved him.

And I still do, but I will never be able to forgive him for what he did. Not only did he go behind my back and break his promise, he has been lying to me. For weeks.

Who knows how long he would have kept this a secret from me? Months? Years? Forever? And who knows how many times during that span would he have looked me in the eyes and lied to me to keep me from finding out what he did?

At least Tobias never lied to me. He may have taken advantage of my naiveness, but he never lied.

The worse part is, I don't even hate Jace for lying to me, I hate myself for believing him. All the signs were there, but I still looked the other way: how guilty he looked the morning after, him crying, his busted knuckles, how weird he was acting, the bracelet...

This stupid fucking bracelet. I yank it off my wrist and try to break it, to pull it apart, to do something to it, but it holds firm, so I settle for throwing it out the window; it wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be, but I don't feel bad that I just threw out such an expensive gift knowing the only reason he gave it to me was to make himself feel better.

My eyes start to burn, and I can feel myself staring to be pulled under. If I start crying now, I don't think I'll ever be able to stop-

My phone rings, cutting through my despair, and I'm able to focus on the annoying ringtone. I dig it out from my purse; it's Jace.

The phone falls from my hand as if it burned me. I want nothing more than to throw my it out the window along side the bracelet, drive away, and never look back, but I know I can't do that; the only way I'll be able to move on is to hear him confess to everything.

I let my phone go to voicemail, and seconds later I get a text.

Jace: Where are you? It's almost 6. I'm starting to worry, call me back.

I send back a quick text before he comes looking for me.

Me: I was held up at work, I'll be there in a few.

I'm relieved when he doesn't try to call me again, and I manage to pull myself together enough to drive to his office.

Ten minutes later, I arrive in front of a familiar giant glass building, but I sit in the car for another five minutes, until I'm certain I'm not going to cry.