uninvited

chapter fiftyeight

unchallengeable

There was no way she could get any sleep with the amount of heartbreak she felt. She cried until she wouldn't allow herself to anymore. Crying wouldn't help. Nothing would.

Her eyes felt thick and uncooperative. Bleak and swollen. Anyone would be able to look at her and know that her heart was breaking.

She'd known all of this was too good to be true. She'd known that when it came to an end that she'd be nothing left but bleeding, broken pieces.

What she hadn't known is that she'd have to lose them all.

It didn't have to be forever. If she kept reminding herself that maybe she'd be able to live through this.

Tears leaked from her eyes. That was a lie. She was walking out on her family. After all they had already lost.

She'd never forgive herself for that.

"Human Jessalynn, the future King will not be delayed any longer. He is coming back early and will be here within the hour."

"Thank you, Dezrick."

Leaving the bed, she reached for the candora she'd left on the floor last night. How was she going to accomplish single handily destroying everyone she loved?

All without them knowing how much it was killing her?

As hard as it was going to be, her best course of action was spending as little time with them as possible. Which was horrible since she didn't want to waste one moment with them.

"Please tell me all the hurling is over. I felt for you, I really did but_____."

Julian stilled. "What happen? Is Kell_____."

"Fine and on the way home. I just had a bad night."

"Ah, babe. I feel horrible. If I'd known you were going to have such a hard time of it, I would have stuck it out."

"Nonsense. No sense in both of us being sick."

He felt her forehead. "Maybe you should go back to the infirmary."

"Don't be silly."

Jess untangled her hair then put it up in a quick tight bun. "We should hurry. I don't want to miss breakfast with Mel."

Her voice cracked but she pretended not to notice.

He caught her hand and drugged her down the stairs to the front entrance. "Dez, do a full scan. Do blood work, the whole thing."

"That will not be______."

"Just do it."

"Julian, I_______."

"Go ahead and say I'm being silly one more time to clarify how seriously wrong something is."

"I am unable to do blood work from here, but all the scans are clear. She is slightly dehydrated but nothing more."

Jess managed a small smile. "I love you, Julian. Always will."

She's told him that more times than you can count but this was the first time his face fell when hearing it.

"You're dying, aren't you? The sickness? Those little fuckers waited too long to treat you, didn't they? I'll kill every one of them. We'll get a gun, and we'll go up there and_____."