For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
Jace wasn’t looking away.
He wasn’t shutting down.
He wasn’t hiding behind that cold, hard mask he used like armor.
He was just… there.
A boy with bruised knuckles, a split lip, and a heart he didn’t think he deserved to have.
“Jace,” I whispered, stepping closer, “you’re not a monster.”
He let out a soft sound, almost a laugh, but not happy.
More like disbelief wrapped in pain.
“You don’t know what I’ve done,” he murmured.
“Then tell me.”
He shook his head instantly. “You can’t handle it.”
The way he said it made something twist inside me.
“I get a say in what I can handle,” I argued.
“No, you don’t. Not with this.”
His voice rose, then cracked, and he dragged a hand through his hair like he was seconds from breaking.
“Ariel… if you k
