Chapter 32: Vanilla and Fire

Pain is a living thing.

It's a beast that claws at souls and taking sips of what's left of the old you.

It makes every breath a razor-sharp stab and every thought a piercing scream.

I blinked back tears.

I turned away from the boy holding me.

I swear, he won't see me fall apart…no one will ever see me break.

I stood up from the ground and bit my lips to stop myself from crying in front of all these curious eyes.

"I'm okay!" I announced loudly.

I can't fall apart not right now, I can't. But it was the first time I wished Steve Jackson would die a horrible death.

"Are you hurt?" Hardy asked me

I shook my head. I wasn't hurt, Roma didn't grab me that hard but it didn't stop Hardy from coming closer to me with those worried eyes of his.

He looked at my wrist like he wanted to prove that I wasn't hurt.

I wasn't…sticks and bones, am I right?

I spared a little smile, it was all I could do right now.