Bent But Not Broken Novels & Stories

"You are an amazing person whether you see it or not. You see everything you've been through as bad luck but I see it as struggles that you made it through and became stronger from. I'm not scared of your past, Tiffany." Tiffany exhaled through her noes. She held a worrisome and somewhat sad look on her face which made my chest ache because I knew she was finding it hard to believe and accept that someone was willing to love her despite the baggage she was carrying. "Maybe you're right," she finally said, looking at me with soft eyes. "But... I'm broken and messed up and have pieces of me all over the place. That's not something anybody should have to deal with, Noah."

A shining beacon of unconditional love, and joy, in the otherwise vast emotional wasteland Layla kept her in. The dog did not seem to be your typical pit bull however. He was not the broad, muscle bound beast, most people thought of when they pictured the breed. Rubble was tall, coming up to Sara’s bellybutton at the shoulder, and long and lean, his coat gleaming over well defined, muscle. His body, from nose to hip was almost as long as Sara’s outstretched arms. And his light chocolate eyes always lit up when Sara bounded in the door from school.

“This post didn’t disappear after the wreck. It didn’t break in two from the impact. Like my body, it’s marred and changed from the events of that day. It bent, but it didn’t break.” Calvin runs his hand over the weathered, green post. He doesn’t speak. I’m dying to know what he thinks of my infatuation with it. “Sitting here in the cold drizzle, I had an epiphany of sorts. With the support of my family and Dallas, I didn’t let my wreck break me.” I point at the post then me. “We bent, but we didn’t break.” “I love it,” Calvin professes, positioning himself on his knees. “Those are words to live by a mantra of sorts. Maybe we should get it as a tattoo.”

It was Joey's turn to crouch beside the car. He had to get this child out no matter how much she resisted but, if she struggled, it could well make her injury worse. A broken shard of bone could sever a nerve or a major blood vessel. He had watched the way Penny had calmed a terrified little girl with a skill that had taken his breath away. Had made something in his gut feel all soft. He'd known she was an amazing mother but what he'd just seen her do was awesome. All he needed to do now was to follow her example.

They toyed with him, beat him, but he escaped. Their mistake was that they didn't tie him. He waited until their attention was no longer on him. When he saw the perfect opportunity, he ran as fast as he could. Despite all the broken bones and busted lips, Gilbert ran as fast as he could. -End of Flashback- He was a weak little boy back then. But he made a vow that he will never be weak again. He will never be beaten like a dog again. And he promised himself that he will get back to everyone who bent him to his knees.

I said quietly, my fingers grazing the edge of the tray, the words heavier than they sounded. She blinked. "For what?" "For not treating me like I’m broken." Sophia tilted her head, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Then she gave me the softest smile… the kind that reminded me of sisterhood. The kind that reassured me. "You were never broken. You just bent a little and at a point in every man's life, we all bend. It's just your turn." We both laughed at that… not loud or long, but deep enough to loosen something tight in my chest.

Standing at the breaking point. Letting the fracture speak.

And just like that, a curse cracked. Maybe not broken yet—but cracked.

They would expect bending. I would not bend. Not because I was unbreakable. But because something in Ravenwood had already begun to straighten. And once that happens, no amount of pressure can force it back into shape.