Damaged (Bullied, #3) by Vera Hollins

Author:Vera Hollins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vera Hollins
Published: 2020-08-26T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR the moment I turned off the engine and headed to the same spot we visited before. I zipped up my jacket as I followed him, silently cursing the low temperature. The dark gray sky sparked uneasiness deep inside of me.

I stopped next to him and studied his tall form, which exuded aloofness. It was strangely emphasized by our snowy white surroundings that contrasted him. He didn’t move as he looked at the river with uneven breaths, and I gave in to my impulses. I hugged him from behind and buried my cheek into his wide back.

“Sarah?” he breathed out.

“I just want to hold you like this. Please, let me hold you.” He didn’t reply, but he also didn’t try to separate me from him, so I read that as a good sign and got as close to him as possible.

A cold breeze enveloped us in a long silence, apart from the babble of the river. I was shaking, so I pressed myself against him, paying attention to his ribs. The branches of the naked trees swayed graciously in the wind, capturing my gaze as I thought about Mrs. Black.

I felt bad for her because she obviously wanted to make things work with Hayden. I understood why Hayden wasn’t willing to forgive her, but did that mean he would never let her make amends for everything she hadn’t done?

She hadn’t been a good mother to him, but if she was ready to change and give him the attention he deserved, maybe it would be the right thing to give her a chance.

“How can she be so calm about it?” Hayden suddenly asked and cupped my freezing hands on his stomach with his. He brought my right hand to his mouth and huffed warm air over it. “How can she look me in the eyes and speak like that when she sees how much it hurts me?”

“She just wants to solve things as calmly as possible, I guess. She wants to get through to you but doesn’t know how.”

“You can’t solve seventeen years of neglect with a few calm words.”

The truth in his words cut to the quick, all the more because I experienced the same feelings of inadequacy and loneliness with my mother.

“Do you believe she’s changed?”

“No.” He took my other hand and blew warm air on it too. “Did you even see how tired she looked? She was already tired of talking with me. How can I be sure that tomorrow I won’t receive the same old treatment?”

“You’ve got a point. But what if there is a chance that she’s really changing? Just like you or me.”

He stared into the distance as he mulled over my words, never letting go of my hands. “It doesn’t make any difference. I can’t forgive her. It’s too late for that.”

A gush of icy wind sent a strong shiver down my back, and I snuggled closer to him. My cheeks and nose burned. “Then what do you plan to do? Do you want to avoid her for the rest of your life?”

“That’s the plan, yeah.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.