Broken Hearts (Light in the Dark 5)

“Ready,” I announce.

He grabs a baseball cap from the island countertop and puts it on backward. “Me too.”

He stands and I shake my head, because, frankly, it’s unfair anyone is that good looking.

It also seems crazy he’s mine.

After everything that went down with Owen and having to give up Greyson, I gave up on guys. I filed them all away into the same folder—the

do not touch folder.

I didn’t want to get hurt again.

What happened with Owen was crushing. I was a kid and forced to grow up overnight. It was hard, and it changed me. I had no support at home, so once I got away I only had myself to depend on, and I thought the safest thing to do was ignore all guys.

But then Rae introduced me to Jace and everything changed.

At first, we were simply friends.

Best friends.

He became my confidant, and I thought that’s all he ever would be.

But the more I got to know him, the more I began to feel things I shouldn’t.

And then the same happened to him with me.

From that point on we were inevitable.

It scared me at first, but I know what we have is so much stronger and better than what I had with Owen. I was too young then to know what true love really meant.

Now I know.

It’s loving someone despite their flaws and laughing at each other and sharing secrets and—so many other wonderful things.

We head outside and to our left, walking hand in hand.

The park isn’t far from our apartment, but it’s not usually the direction we head.

The sky is a bright cloudless blue. It’s absolutely beautiful for this time of year.

We reach the park, walking along the trail that wends through it.

“Do you ever wonder what we did to deserve the hand we were dealt?” I ask Jace.

I don’t normally dwell on all the shit I’ve been through. It’s in the past and I prefer to leave it there, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder if I did something wrong and needed to be punished.

Jace stops in his tracks and looks down at me. “We didn’t do anything,” he says sternly. “Some people are assholes and because they’re so fucking miserable with their own lives they have to destroy everyone else’s.”

We start walking again. “I’m just glad for whatever reason, my life brought me to you.” I lean my head against his arm since I can’t reach his shoulder.

“I guess we both got at least one thing right,” he muses.

“And what’s that?”

“Loving each other.”

Love is the purest substance that exists on Earth because it lives inside us and can’t be freely given. Someone has to matter to you.