FRACTURED (13 page)

You should go clean up for work. I've got matters to attend to. I'm assuming that Cooper will be keeping an eye on your new roommates to ensure their good behavior." His tone was soft but warning. He still didn't trust the newbies. “I think I'll have one of the boys stick around to keep an eye on you and Peyta...for good measure.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. I'm sure I can talk Cooper into it, but I'm going to owe him big time,” I informed him, tossing an off-the-shoulder long-sleeve top on. "I'm going to have to give him the car if I keep it up.”

“He can have the car, just not you.”

“Oh, I'm his and he knows it,” I said in mocking tone. “Now that we've straightened out that he's my alpha, I'll never hear the end of it! He
loves
a chance to boss me around.”

“Don't we all,” Sean said, looking at me through hooded eyes. Those eyes were dangerous and destined to make me late.

“Okay, well, I'm gonna jet,” I told him as I wiggled into my skinny jeans. “When am I going to see you?"

“Soon,” he murmured. “Very soon.”

I walked over to him to give him a quick kiss before running down the hall to the kitchen.

“That's super helpful, thanks,” I yelled over my shoulder.

“I aim to please,” he called after me, following me out of the room.

I grabbed a water bottle and banana off the counter then made my way to the front door.

“Call me,” I ordered, turning to face the mysterious man in my life.

“And how will you answer?” he asked, flipping my phone over and over in his hand.

“Please. Like you couldn't figure out a way.”

“Where you're concerned, Ruby, I'll
always
find a way.”

*

The bells jingled when Peyta walked through the store entrance.

They were music to my ears. I was busy in the back workroom when she came in, trying to see if anything needed my attention while admiring Peyta's truly award-winning organizational skills. Like Pavlov's dog, I quickly made my way out front to greet her.

“Hey P,” I called out when I walked through the open door.

“I brought you a coffee from the place down the street that you love,” she said, walking toward me. “And I got you one of those pastry things too. You look skinny. They were out of chocolate but―” Her words cut off suddenly, as though some outside force had pressed pause, freezing her in place. Her eyes glazed while they widened, staring just beyond me.

“Peyta? Peyta, what’s wrong?” I asked, my concern ever-growing.

“Did something happen? You look like you've seen a… ”

12

“
Ghost.
”

My spine chilled as that single word narrowly made its way out of my mouth. A familiar but unwelcome sensation washed over me. I had hoped to never feel it again.

“Ruby,” Peyta called, still unable to pull her eyes away from whatever stalked me from behind. I, however, seemed unable to force myself to turn around and face it at all.

My abdominal scar burned as if the memory of Gregory’s attack was physiologically etched into it, and I prayed that I wasn't in for a repeat performance. By the look on Peyta’s face, she wasn’t up for a round two either. When her eyes finally met mine, they were filled with fear. Before I could do anything to calm her, I felt the faintest brush of something against my hair.

I had no intention of staying around to see what else he could touch.

“
Run
,” I mouthed to Peyta, barely making a sound. She didn’t hesitate, and neither did I. Darting for the entrance, she had the door ripped open only moments after I rounded the counter to join her. So much for no more running, though I felt that instance warranted an exception to the rule.

I turned to slam the door behind me, but what I saw looking back at me halted my progress. His body faded minutely with every stride Peyta took down the street, but his face was unmistakable. The expression it wore was too―the perfect mix of sadness and confusion. I’d seen it once before through Scarlet’s eyes.

“PEYTA!” I screamed at her just before she could round the corner at the end of the block. “Come back!
Now
!”

With hesitation, the tiny brunette jogged back toward me. I frantically looked from her to the ghost in my store, watching as his form solidified little by little with her approach. When she was only yards away, I cautiously reentered the shop. My hands shook—tremors growing

—as I approached him. His expression remained unchanged.

I was surprised he wore one at all, given that the last time I’d seen him he didn’t have a head.

“
Matty
?” I called, my voice cracking as my throat tightened violently. Tears rolled freely down my face; I barely felt them. Disbelief coursed too strongly through my body and off of his to feel anything else.

“You can see me,” he whispered, slowly bringing his hands before his face to investigate their solidity.

“Yes,” Peyta replied from behind me. “We both can.”

His attention drifted to her as she came to stand beside me. Her demeanor had done a complete one-eighty from what it had just been. Her energy was calm like it had always been when the subject of the ghosts came up, though it was tinged with a hint of sorrow when she looked at me.

When she looked at Matty, that sorrow turned to rage.

“Ruby—” he started before Peyta cut him off.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she fumed, her rage building rapidly. “You need to leave.”

“Peyta!” I snapped, grabbing her arm.

“He nearly killed Jay,” she yelled, turning hateful eyes on me. “It’s time for him to go...somewhere far away and
very
warm.”

Matty and I both visibly cringed at her words. Peyta had clearly found an outlet for her emotions far sooner than I'd expected, though I wasn’t certain it was going to be an especially healthy one.

“What?” he asked, trying to make sense of what she had said. He seemed disoriented and confused, with no obvious recollection of the event Peyta spoke of. I broke out in a cold sweat. Would he remember what Scarlet did?

“You,” Peyta growled as she stalked closer to him, “you ruined
everything
. This is all your fault.”

“Ruby?” he asked, his wide eyes pleading for understanding.

I clasped a hand around Peyta’s thin arm to keep her from advancing any further. She was too enraged to see what I did. Matty was frightened.

“It’s okay, Matty,” I said softly, walking past Peyta. “You don’t remember. That’s all right. I don’t remember everything either."

“Are you...? You’re not...?” he started, unable to finish his thoughts.

“No, Matty,” I said as another rogue tear worked its way loose. “I’m not dead.”

He closed his eyes, and I watched as the tension left his body with one large exhale. Of all the things he had to be concerned about, my well-being was first and foremost on his mind. Instead of making me feel better, I felt infinitely worse. I thought I was going to be potentially dealing with the mindless, bloodthirsty rogue who had nearly killed Sean, but, much to the contrary, I found myself face to face with the man I thought I’d lost months ago. My Boy Scout.

“Thank God,” he whispered to himself.

“You leave God out of this,” Peyta snipped, picking up where she left off. “You won’t be seeing him where you’re going."

“Peyta, please,” I begged, turning my bleary eyes on her. “I know you’re angry, but—”

“But what, Ruby? He mowed Jay down without a thought and wounded Sean pretty badly too. You think I give a shit about how he feels right now? I don't, and neither should you.”

“Peyta, it’s not that simple.”

“Yes, Ruby, it really is.” It was her turn to grab me by the arm and squeeze for dear life. Her bony fingers dug painfully into my flesh while her eyes bore holes into my head. "He nearly took from me everyone that has helped to keep me grounded in this supernatural life. I don’t give a
fuck
about him. You shouldn't either.”

“Jay is alive, Peyta, and so am I.”

“
Jay
won’t see me anymore. He may as well not be alive for all it counts now. I’ll never see him again, and it’s all thanks to him," she said, flinging an accusatory arm in Matty’s direction.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, suddenly feeling the same confusion Matty was.

“He wants nothing to do with me,” she replied with eyes as cold and hardened as her mother’s. “He never even bothered to tell me why, though I'm sure it has a lot to do with me nearly failing him—my complete inability to do the job I was born to do.”

“That can’t be right,” I argued, thinking that Jay had always been the sole voice of reason and perspective when all others were lost. "Did you ask him?”

“What about ‘he wants nothing to do with me’ wasn’t clear, Ruby?

He hasn’t spoken to me since I healed him. He won't answer my texts, my calls, and I have no idea where he is, not that it would matter much. I highly doubt he’d be willing to see me either.”

“Peyta, I don't know what to say.”

“There's nothing to say,” she said, her voice still cold. “I guess things make a lot more sense to you now though." She sent me a knowing glance then pinned her eyes back on Matty. She was right; her cutting made even more sense after knowing that she and Jay were done.

“Matty, do you remember what happened that night at Sean's?” I asked in an attempt to ascertain exactly what he remembered from that fateful night.

“I can't...I don't know. My head starts to pound whenever I try to put the pieces together.”

“Let me give you the Cliff's Notes version,” Peyta sneered. “Your crazy fucking wolf charged Jay and nearly tore his throat out before you went on a rampage with Sean, driving knives the size of machetes into each of his major joints and organs."

He pressed his eyes closed as if he was trying to hide from her words, but he couldn't, and eventually it was apparent that the fuzzy spots in his memory became crystal clear.

“You killed me,” he whispered, bringing his eyes up to meet mine.

“Matty, I―”

“You don't need to explain shit to him,” Peyta spat. “In fact, I'm pretty over this whole situation. I'll see you tomorrow, Ruby. I'm out."

She snatched up her belongings and stormed through the door without another word. I was hot on her heels.

“Peyta, wait. Please,” I called at her as she made her way to the corner and down the alley. She moved fast for someone with legs far shorter than mine. Pausing to let me catch up, I slammed into a wall of hostile energy as soon as I did.

“No. Not this time, Ruby. This is too much.”

“I'm worried about you, P. Why didn't you tell me about Jay earlier?”

“Why? It wouldn't change anything. He's not going to listen to you if you try to smooth things over, which, by the way, you're not going to do, understand me?"

“Of course I won't, but we need to talk about this.”

“I'm all set with talking today. It doesn't help anyway.”

“Oh, and your solution does? Have you even told your mother about that yet?”Her glare told me she hadn't. "I'm not letting this go, Peyta. I love you too much for that. I swear that I'll call her right now unless you promise me that you're going to go to her shop right now and tell her. I'll be checking in with her tonight to be sure you did.”

She sighed heavily, fighting back her tears.

“Fine.”

“Peyta, please understand that regardless of what happened, the Matty that's standing in my shop right now, he's not the one that hurt Jay.

He never would have done something like that until your father infected him. Matty didn't stand a chance―he was destined to become what made him. Please don't hold that against him.” I choked on my tears that I could no longer withhold. “I never got to say goodbye to him properly.

Please let me have that.
Please
.”

She tried to remain angry at me, but she was above projecting her hostility, and soon her rage petered out to sadness. Sadness for her, for me, and maybe even the slightest bit for Matty. The calm after the storm always afforded the perspective that couldn't be found in the moment.

“Okay,” she sighed, starting back down the alley to the main road.

“But I'm not staying. I'll hang out just long enough for you to say goodbye. That's it."

My tears rolled off my cheeks freely. I was elated and horrified by what was about to happen. I'd never wanted something more and less at the same time.

As we walked down the street, I took her hand in mine and gave a squeeze. The minute tightening I felt in return made me smile through the pain. We entered the store together, expecting to find Matty where we'd left him, but he wasn't. We searched high and low, but the reality was plain. Matty was gone and I'd missed my chance to tell him how sorry I was.

I’d missed my chance to say goodbye.

13

“NO!” I screamed, slamming the workroom door shut. “I have to tell him, P. I just have to.”

“Don't panic yet,” she said in an unsuccessful attempt to calm me down. “It doesn't mean he's
gone
, gone. He may have just gone somewhere else for a while.”

“Do you think so?” I asked, my desperation plain.

“I don't know. I wasn't very focused on what state he was in. I didn't get a read on how long he had before he'll fade."

“
Fade
?”

“You know,” she said, trying to urge me to see the obvious. “Cross over.”

“Oh.”

“Listen, I'm sorry about this. I know he was your friend, but I can't help blaming him for what happened,” she said apologetically. "I never knew the person you claim he was before he tried to kill Jay and Sean and then drove Scarlet away.”

I didn't know what to say. Her points were valid, her feelings warranted. I couldn't help but think how I would have reacted if the shoe had been on the other foot. My guess was not nearly as well as she did.

She may have gone off on him, but she'd still held some measure of composure. I wouldn't have.

“So, I'm going to head out,” she informed me, rocking back on her feet slightly. “But I'll be back tomorrow. Maybe he'll stop by then...and maybe I'll have calmed down about it by then too."

“Sounds like a plan.” I forced a smile, hoping that she was right about Matty. “Go see your mom. I believe you still have things to tell her."