WRECKED BY YOU

Chapter 13: Cracks in the Glass

The silence in Zara’s room felt like a thick fog settling around her chest. Outside, the city hummed with life—music, laughter, distant car horns—but none of it reached her. Instead, all she could hear was the steady buzz of her phone lighting up, her heart sinking each time she saw Jace’s name flashing on the screen. She didn’t want to answer. She didn’t want to see his messages. But somehow, she couldn’t look away.

She stared at the first message, which was nothing more than a simple “Please.” Then another, “Talk to me,” and then a longer one, “I never wanted to hurt you. You have to believe me.”

But how could she? After today, after everything Elena had said.

Zara sank onto the edge of her bed, the cool sheets slipping beneath her fingertips, grounding her. She thought back to the afternoon—the confrontation in the café with her closest friends. They had gathered around her with hesitant glances and heavy hearts. It wasn’t their place to judge, they said, but they couldn’t ignore the message that had circulated—a message Jace supposedly sent, one where he admitted he wasn’t sure about their relationship, where he questioned Zara’s love.

The words stung like fire. Zara’s friends had shown her the screenshots—cut and pasted, cropped to hide context. The cruel fragments of a conversation twisted into something unrecognizable.

But it wasn’t the whole truth.

Zara had confronted Jace earlier that week about the doubts she’d sensed growing in him, but he swore he loved her more than anything. Then why did the message exist? Why would he send those words if he truly felt that way?

Her thoughts spiraled. Had she been too naive? Too trusting?

Her phone buzzed again, a message from Elena.

“You deserve better. Don’t let him break you.”

The venom behind those words twisted a knife in Zara’s heart. Elena had always disliked their relationship, but this felt like a calculated attack. And it had worked.

She wiped her eyes, biting her lip to keep the tears from falling. She couldn’t let Elena win.

Meanwhile, several miles away, Jace sat behind the wheel of his car, the streetlights casting long shadows on his tense face. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white.

He had tried to call Zara all day, but she wouldn’t pick up. He’d sent message after message, but nothing came back. The silence was deafening.

He replayed their last conversation in his mind—the one where he tried to explain that the message people had seen was taken out of context. That it was from a moment of vulnerability, a panic attack, a slip of doubt he never meant to share with anyone but was caught in the wrong light.

But how to prove it when Elena had already spread the poison?

Jace’s phone buzzed—another missed call from Zara.

He took a deep breath and typed a message, his fingers trembling.

“Zara, please. I’m here. I love you. I didn’t send those messages you think you saw. Elena’s lying. Please don’t shut me out. We can fix this.”

He stared at the screen for a long moment, then hit send.

His car engine hummed as he started the ignition, determination flooding his veins.

If Zara wouldn’t answer her phone, he’d find another way.

Back in her room, Zara curled up on her bed, clutching her phone like a lifeline and a weapon all at once. The ache in her chest was a weight she couldn’t shake.

She wanted to believe Jace. She did. But the doubts had crept inside, seeded by betrayal and whispered lies. What if this wasn’t just a mistake? What if it was the beginning of the end?

Her phone buzzed again. Another message from Jace.

“Remember the night at the pier? How we watched the stars and promised each other forever? That’s still true for me.”

She closed her eyes, the memory flooding her mind—his warm hand in hers, the quiet laughter, the way he looked at her like she was the only person in the world.

Was that enough to save them?

She opened her eyes and typed a shaky reply:

“I don’t know if I can trust you right now.”

Seconds later, a reply came back.

“Then let me prove it. I’m coming to see you.”

Zara’s heart thudded hard against her ribs. For all the pain and confusion, a small spark of hope ignited inside.

Maybe love wasn’t about perfect moments or flawless trust.

Maybe it was about fighting through the cracks.