홈 / YA/TEEN / Blunt Pain / 챕터 31 - 챕터 40

Blunt Pain의 모든 챕터: 챕터 31 - 챕터 40

60 챕터

Part 31

AxlThe moment he closed his car door, the scowl returned to his face, and he sighed. Once again, he’d put everyone else first, and nobody even noticed that he wasn’t fine. Merit hadn’t noticed, and that didn’t sit well with him.His life had gone up in flames the previous night, and today he had to smile and keep standing so he could keep the rest of them upright. He was pissed off and tired of pretending. At least he didn’t have to pretend in his car, and he didn’t have to pretend at his trailer.He parked his car and felt a heaviness settle in his chest when he unlocked his front door and surveyed the damage in his living room. The coffee table was in two pieces, the blinds ripped from their railings. He hadn’t broken the television, so that was good. He’d lost his temper like never before in his life. He’d always prided himself on being in control of his emotions, but not last night.He picked up the pieces of the coffee table and carried them outside to the garbage cans. He’d hav

Part 32

NorthHe could feel Charlotte breathing down his neck. She was everywhere, and he felt claustrophobic. She went home with him, and ate dinner with him. Francine had just given him a look, one he understood all too well. His father had left right after his meeting with Charlotte’s parents, not even saying goodbye to him.He looked at all the texts he’d sent Axl, but all of them remained unread, each grey tick pressing harder against his chest than the last. He couldn’t even call Aspen to find out if she was okay.He knew he couldn’t hide out in the bathroom forever, so he splashed cold water on his face before he opened the door. Charlotte was still in his room, making herself comfortable on his bed.“It’s getting late,” he said, hoping she’d get the message, and leave him alone.“You know, North, things will be so much easier if you would just cooperate,” she said.“I’ve done everything you asked. I’m still my own person, and I’m still going to do my own thing. I don’t care if you lik

Part 33

Aspen“Shit, Aspen. I don’t even know how to respond to all that,” Merit said.Aspen had told her the whole sordid story over lunch. The words had spilled out faster than she could filter them, each ugly detail piling on top of the next, until even she could hear how unreal her own life sounded. She caught Axl’s ice-cold gaze when she mentioned things she’d omitted the previous night. A sharp, fleeting look that told her he had noticed the gaps in her story and filed them away quietly. She wondered briefly if this was how Atlas had felt, the world resting on his shoulders. “Count yourself lucky to be in the guest house,” Aspen said softly.“It’s only because I threatened to call my dad. They’ll leave me alone because I have some leverage. Maybe we should try to find some leverage for you, as well,” Merit said.“Even if we did, I’m never going back to that house. My dad told me that he had two more daughters who could make him proud, like I’m useless or something.”She felt Axl’s hand

Part 34

MeritNeither Aspen nor Axl had seen her in the hallway. She was jealous, and she hated it. She couldn’t help it, though—Aspen was living with her boyfriend, and she’d known Axl longer, too. Now that North was out of the picture, how long would it be before something sparked between them?She took a deep breath and waited nearly twenty minutes before she walked out of the alcove and headed to her car. The narrow space smelled faintly of cleaning solution and old paint, and her legs ached from standing still for so long. The drive home wasn’t one she relished, but she wasn’t sure she could be around Aspen and Axl right now. He never hesitated to be there for Aspen, never hesitated to protect her or shield her. He didn’t hesitate to help you either, the voice in her head said.She parked her car in front of the guest house and clenched her jaw when she saw Jackson through the windows of the main house. He had a strip of bandage over his nose, and both of his eyes were tinged dark purple

Part 35

AxlHe left Merit’s house at four a.m. It had been easy enough to get inside the gates of Cathwell’s vast estate. Picking Merit’s lock had been even easier. He blended in with the shadows and made his way back to his car, parked two blocks away.He dragged his hand over his head and sighed as he unlocked his car. He had to try harder with Merit. She was a nice girl, and he knew girls wanted to talk, have feelings, and wanted to know everything. It was still hard. His mother had made sure that he grew up hard and maybe even a little cold.When he reached the trailer, he pulled his shirt over his head and unbuttoned his jeans. He took his shoes off in the living room and headed to the bathroom. He wasn’t going to be able to sleep, even if he still had a few hours. He pushed his jeans down and closed the bathroom door behind him.“Axl?”“Aspen? What are you doing in here?”“Knitting a sweater; what do you think? I’m peeing!”Axl barked out a laugh and felt for the door behind him. “In th

Part 36

AxlThe stick was walking down the stairs when Axl let himself into North’s house with his key. The atmosphere felt different, and he resisted the urge to gag when he saw her. It would just make North’s life more miserable if he did.The house felt staged now, like a show home instead of the place he had grown up wandering through without knocking. He realized North’s suffering was worse than he’d let on. It was like all the good air had been sucked from the space she occupied.“You just walk into other people’s homes?” she asked him.“I’ve been walking into North’s home since I was ten years old,” he said, and headed through to the kitchen, barely glancing at her.“Axl! You are a sight for sore eyes!” Francine said, as he walked around the counter and hugged her. The hug grounded him, tightened something in his chest that he was trying to bury. Francine had known him long enough, well enough, to know what he needed at that moment.“It’s only been a week, Francine,” he said, with a ch

Part 37

NorthOn Saturday morning, he was in the music room again, the notes melancholic as his fingers glided over the piano. The room felt unusually still around him, the tall windows filtering in pale winter light that settled across the polished floor like a thin veil. He stiffened when Charlotte’s hands landed on his shoulders and squeezed.“You play very well,” she said softly.“Then you should hear Axl. He plays the piano like he was born to do it,” he said.“You have an interesting friendship with him.” Her hand was now lightly stroking the back of his neck.“He doesn’t play by our rules,” North said, and closed the flap of the piano. The sharp click echoed through the room and sounded far louder than it should have.“What is it that you want, North?” Her voice sounded almost sad, and North clenched his jaw.“Do you know what kind of life we’ll have? I won’t ever love you, and you won’t love me. Is that really the kind of marriage you want to be trapped in?”Charlotte sighed and sat d

Part 38

AspenIt felt like old times, even though not that much time had passed since their last movie night, but it still felt good to have North with them. The sense of familiarity wrapped around her like a well-worn blanket, easing the tight knot that had lived in her chest all week. She drove back to Esperton with him, her hand on his thigh, and his hand covering hers. The steady rhythm of the road and the soft hum of the engine grounded her in the moment.It had been the hardest week of her life, but now, she felt lighter. She felt like she could look life in the eye once more, and believe there was still hope for them. North seemed more like himself, the sharp edge of exhaustion in his face softened by something close to relief, and the silence surrounding them was comfortable, like it had always been.Axl and Merit occupied one side of the couch, and Aspen settled between North’s legs. He placed the convenience store bag on her lap, and she grinned. The paper crinkled softly beneath he

Part 39

MeritShe watched Aspen leaving her room from the corner of her eye. The door clicked softly behind her, and the sound echoed far louder in Merit’s chest than it should have. Axl had shoved his hands in his pockets, and she loosened her arms from his waist. She really hadn’t checked the movies, but it felt like he was blaming her for it.“I really am sorry,” she said softly.“It’s fine. I just needed some air. I thought everyone was asleep, but clearly Aspen doesn’t miss a thing,” he said, and gave her a smile.His smile always had the same effect on her. It pulled her in, made her feel dizzy, blinded her senses, and she had the sickening urge to keep him smiling, no matter what. She craved it almost, wanting him to smile at her. It was frightening how quickly his approval had started to feel like oxygen.“Yeah, clearly she doesn’t.”Axl took a step back from her and frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“Nothing, it’s just… she’s always comforting you, and you’re always comforting

Part 40

AxlHe drove away from Merit’s house with a heavy feeling in his chest. He smiled faintly when he realized that North hadn’t believed a word he’d said earlier. He knew exactly where he was going. Amarito Cove. The place where Peyton’s new parents lived. How could he not?The argument with Merit weighed on him, and when she whispered that she loved him, he hadn’t slept at all. He liked her. He cared about her. But he didn’t love her. And he wasn’t convinced that what she felt for him was love, either. They barely knew each other. They had a bond born from trauma, and he was sure she’d latched onto that.Her jealousy was a problem for him. A big one. He hated it—especially the way she kept turning everything back to Aspen. He hadn’t lied to her. He really wouldn’t choose. But he would walk away. And he knew North wouldn’t hesitate to walk in the same direction. Neither would Aspen. Which meant that, in the end, he would choose them. He simply hadn’t known Merit long enough to say he wou

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