Fire And Ice

[Tabitha’s POV]

A gentle, feather-soft brushing against my cheek rouses me from my blissful darkness, drawing me back to reality, where I find someone touching me. For a moment, I try to determine exactly what is going on until images of what I did right before passing out hit me.

Feeling a wave of shock run through me, I prepare to jump up and make a run for it until I hear the one beside me take in a shaky breath.

“You hit home earlier,” he murmurs, causing me to freeze entirely and keep my eyes closed. “Maybe I should have told you that you weren’t alone in your pain; then you wouldn’t have looked at me with those sad eyes.”

Feeling my heart squeeze, I find myself wondering exactly what Atticus is holding close to his heart, to the point where he only dared speak it when he thought no one was listening.

“But is our pain truly the same?” He chuckles miserably. “You were hurt by a lover,” he continues, brushing some hair behind my ear. “But mine was my own family.”

Biting back the ga