Baxt

, Jax' s and mine. Our names, carved clumsily into its bark years ago, were still visible, softened by time but undeniabl

r jacket, even though she hadn't earned a single merit. He had a proud, almost possessive look on his face. Th

reers, building our empire. "Forever, Kylie," he'd said, squeezing my hand, "you and me against the world." The words tasted like b

and presented as Cinda' s. The feeling was not of loss, but of pro

gravel beneath my feet a punctuation mark on the end of an er

cratch. The wood splintered, the old carving resisting at first, then giving way. I scraped away the "K," then the plus sign, then t

da were approaching the tree, their voices carrying

tree. "Isn't this where you and... her... carved

do stupid things." He dismissed years o

her voice bright, her eyes sparkling with malicious

rified, as Jax pulled out a small pocketknife. The scraping sound, harsh and grating, echoed i

ss this final desecration. I started to back

yl

h the air. I stopped, my shoulders tensing. She

uess you're just so clumsy, aren't you?" Her eyes flicked to the raw, scraped bark where I had removed our names. She knew exactly what I had been doing. Her

e. My hands clenched into fists. "You don't know an

. Always chasing after Jax, always trying to be something you're not. You're just

staurant. My dream. My dignity. They were sacred. No one, especially not he

y voice raw, broken. I lunged at her, a

the uneven ground. Her eyes, wide with fear, locked onto mine. She grab

e murky waters of the old lily pond, right next to the oak tree. The shock of the cold water, combined with the pain in my head, sent

e. They were on Cinda. He plunged into the pond, his strong arms reaching for her. "Cinda

ead throbbing, the edges of my vision darkening.

him, whimpered dramatically. "She pushed me, Jax! She tried t

a low growl, "stop your pathetic drama! I'm so si

k, a desperate whisper. My head pounded, and I felt light

sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Always the victim. Always playing for sympathy. Well, it's not wo

oothing words to her, completely ignoring my struggles. He left me