“Before what?” I question, because it’s clear I’ve been left in the dark about something.

Or rather, someone.

“Where’s Liam?”

“Good job, asshole,” Jace mutters before he looks at me. “Everything is fine.”

“Don’t lie to me.” I look at Cole. “Why were you pretending to be Liam?”

Jace shoots him a murderous glare. “Hallway. Now.”

“No,” I snap. “So help me God one of you better tell me wh—”

Pain pulses through my temples. It’s so severe, it renders me breathless.

Something’s wrong.

Jace is saying something, but I don’t hear him.

I’m too scared.

I pound on the tray table. “Let me in!”

Past…

“What’s going on?” I scream, the fear nearly crippling me.

“Go downstairs and call 911!” Jace yells on the other side of Liam’s bedroom door.

I’m so scared I can barely breathe.

What happened to him?

Heart and stomach full of terror, I run down the staircase on unsteady legs and make a beeline for the phone in the kitchen.

My fingers shake so bad, I drop the phone before punching in the numbers.

“911, what’s your emergency?” some lady on the other line answers.

“I need—” My voice is so jittery I can barely speak.

I clear my throat and try again. “I need an ambulance for my brother.” Remembering the time Mom spent two whole days teaching me our address in case of an emergency, I quickly add, “We live at 101 Royal Manor Lane. Please come quick.”

“Got it. Can you tell me what happened, sweetie?”

Didn’t she hear me before?

“Something is wrong with my brother. He’s twelve.”

“Okay, honey. An ambulance is on the way. Do you know what happened so I can tell the EMTs?”

“I don’t know,” I scream. “No one will tell me. Please hurry.”

I quickly drop the phone and head back upstairs.

I need to see Liam.

I can make him better.

“The ambulance is on the way.” I pound on the door. “Let me in.”

I need to make sure he’s okay.

“Go downstairs,” Jace shouts.

“No.”

There’s no way I’d ever leave him, especially if he’s in pain.

It’s when he needs me the most.

“I want to see Liam.”

“Bianca, go downstairs,” Jace screams again, but his voice doesn’t sound right.

He’s crying.

My stomach falls and sheer panic zips up my spine.

Jace never cries.

“Liam!!” I yell, banging on the door harder. “Liam, come out here!”

I have to see him.

My heart squeezes like a vise and tears clog my vision. “I want to see Liam.”

Why won’t they let me see him?

I start kicking the door. “Liam!”

I’m here, Liam.

I’m right here.

Everything’s gonna be okay.

We’re in this together.

The doorknob turns and I don’t waste another second. I push it open with every ounce of strength I have.

Strength that leaves me in one big gust a second later.

This can’t be happening.

This isn’t real.

Five minutes ago, Jace was making him his favorite—pancakes.

And now…

I scream so loud my ears ring as I take in his stiff, blue-tinged body lying on the floor of his closet.

“Liam!” His name rips out of my vocal cords, burning my insides.

Answer me.

Wake up and answer me.

But he can’t.

“Dammit,” Jace hisses.

A deep, wide wave of pain spreads throughout my chest, gripping me by the throat until I’m trembling.

He pinky swore.

In one fell swoop, Cole picks me up and heads for the staircase.

I kick and scream the whole way down, not wanting to be away from my favorite person.

Even though he’s no longer here.

“I’m sorry,” Cole whispers.

All I can do is cry. As if my tears and agony alone could bring him back.

But they won’t.

Because Liam broke his promise.

Broke what was left of me.

Chapter 8

Giving me a hopeful smile, Jace squeezes my arm. “We brought you breakfast.”

As if on cue, Cole holds up a paper bag. “Sausage and eggs.”

I close my eyes, willing them to go away.

“It’s been over a week, Jace,” Cole mutters. “She’s not snapping out of this.”

Jace sighs. “I know.”

I draw in a sharp agonizing breath as their footsteps fade, wishing it would wash all the pain away.

He left me without warning.

One second we were waiting for him to join us for breakfast and making plans to go to the mall…and the next he was gone.

Just like our mother.

“Fuck this,” Jace grunts before I hear the footsteps returning to my room. “I’m not losing her too.”

“Go away,” I choke out.

I don’t want to talk.

I don’t want to breathe.

I don’t want to live in a world in which he no longer exists.

If God had any compassion, he would have taken me too.

Jace crosses his arms. “No.”

Cole matches his stance. “Make us.”

Their stubbornness would almost be comical if my heart didn’t feel like someone took a blowtorch to it.

“He left me,” I whisper, a fresh wave of agony swelling in my chest.

He knew I couldn’t survive without him.

He knew I wouldn’t make it on my own.

“He left all of us,” Cole bites out, towering over me.

Cole’s always been a moody jerk, but right now he’s pissing me off more than usual.

I glare at him. “Go away.”

“Cole’s right,” Jace interjects and the pain reflecting in his eyes mirrors my own. “But as much as it hurts, you have to find a way to go on.”

How?

How the hell do you go on living when the two most important people in your life are dead?

How do you wake up to face a brand-new day without the constant reminder of everything you lost?

How do you move past all the pain?

Easy. You don’t.

Because time doesn’t heal all wounds.

It just leaves you with scars.

“I can’t.” I don’t bother wiping the tear that slides down my cheek. “I don’t have a reason to.”

Not anymore.

I have no mom, no Liam…and the only memories I have cause me a heart full of what feels like non-stop suffering.

A loud crash makes me jump.

“Fuck you,” Jace bites out, seething with anger.

“I—”

He punches his chest with his fist. “You have us, Bianca. You still have us.”

Something uncomfortable churns in my belly.

Guilt, I realize.

Because the heartbroken look on his face tells me how much what I said hurt him.

I notice Cole’s wounded expression and inwardly flinch. Hurt them both.