All Chapters of Crossing The Line With My Hockey Stepbrother: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

ElizabethI woke up to a pit feeling in my stomach. My eyes were sore from tears and my whole body shuddered at my first attempt to get up. My head began to spin; a sensation I was used to by now, but I still hated. I steadied myself, trying to make my way to the bathroom and each step was a chore. When I looked in the mirror above my sink, I just laughed at myself.I looked pathetic and felt worse, unable to put words to the mix of my emotions at the moment. Dawn lay curled somewhere deep inside my chest, nursing her wounds, soft and still silent. The disconnect from our mate was really taking a toll on us and I was feeling more and more vulnerable by the moment. I knew if I exerted too much energy, I might just faint.When I finally made it downstairs, I met Reagan in the kitchen, already having a bowl of cereal. I headed to the fridge first and retrieved the carton of milk. “What’s wrong with you,” he asked like I was a disturbance rather than out of concern.“Nothing.” I respon

ElizabethThe winds were howling terribly, violently swaying the branches and uprooting trees. She could barely see anything in the snow storm. It was cold - freezing - and the frost was steadily eating at her legs and tail. But she was frantic, heart pounding, eyes peeled and ears alert. She wasn’t fighting for survival, no. Something was devouring her more deeply than her obvious need to remain alive. She was searching for someone with fervent determination and ardent hope. Where is he, Dawn? I cried.She kept moving, veering left and right, unable to stay in one place. She defied the storm, travailing deeper into the forest, until she picked a trail.Finally, she sensed his presence so strongly and stayed on the course till she found him. He was fallen, unmoving, increasingly being buried by the snow. She ran to his side, the tears flowing relentlessly. She cleared the snow and turned him over but his body was limp, lifeless. Wake up. Wake up, please.WAKE UP!!NO!!I jolted up

ElizabethDawn was calmer than she’d been in days, maybe weeks. For once, my heart didn’t feel like it was collapsing in on itself. I rested in my arms for a silent moment after he said those words. They were so soothing, I felt like I could stay here forever without any consequences. And though I desperately wanted to, I knew I couldn’t.Then we walked without speaking, Phillip a half step in front of me, the night wrapping around us like a blanket. He took me to the depth of the stairs in the watchtower and we sat there. I could feel him the way I always did now, a steady presence that made me feel safe despite everything. Dawn was quieter too. Still alert, still watchful but no longer pacing inside me like a trapped animal. What had fractured between Phillip and I had finally settled into place, and the ridiculous thing was that it was all needless. All we had to do was talk to each other honestly. I didn’t know when a laugh escaped me.“What is it?” he asked, his eyes wide with

ElizabethThe strangest part was how easy it became. I couldn’t decide whether it was impressive or discomforting.It wasn’t easy in the sense that it stopped pricking. No, the hurt lived in my constantly now, burned as a side effect of every fake laugh and smile and gesture. But easy in the way repetition dulls resistance. It was becoming a part of me, a mask I pulled on and off just like that.Three days after the watchtower, I stood in front of my mirror and adjusted the clasp of a necklace Anthony’s mother had sent over that morning. Emerald, delicate and understated in a way that screamed intention. I stared at my reflection and practiced the expression I knew they liked best - soft, receptive and pleased.Dawn recoiled, subtly pulling away from the character in the mirror, the character I was about to embody for the next few hours. I sighed and went downstairs.“Anthony is picking you up at noon,” Mum said brightly when I entered the kitchen. “Nothing too formal. Just lunch at t

ElizabethI couldn’t really get it out of my head. Ever since I left the Beta’s mansion two days ago, I’d been trying so hard not to think about what Anthony had said, not to dwell on it, not to let it get to me. But I was too emotional, and the irony of trying so hard not to think about something was that it ended up being the only thing you thought of.With the memory of his words came the memory of the state of the living room; the smell of cleaning agents and the emptiness. It had been just the two of us, in that big mansion. Or at least it felt like it. I knew his father wasn’t around because the Beta had to be in the council meeting called by the Alpha. Which meant while we solved a puzzle and laughed, our fathers were in the council chambers, probably growling at each other.Wasn’t that funny.An overthinking she-wolf had to be the worst kind, but I couldn’t help it. Overthinking made me feel a little sick, and Dawn restless, not knowing how to feel. It’d been a while since s