“We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them.”? George Orwell, 1984Family TreeHUNTER CHARGILL
??
Mason ChargillKingsley Hunt
FatherMother
(Nickname: Hunt)Godmother: Layla Shepard
Godfathers: Falcon Reyes & Lake Cutler
Best Friends: Jase Reyes, Kao Reed & Noah WestJADE DANIELS
??
Rhett DanielsEvie Cole
FatherMother
?
Hayden Cole
GrandfatherGodmother: Miss Sebastian
Godfather: Carter Hayes
Best friends: Fallon Reyes, Mila West & Hana CutlerJade Daniels fell in love
Jade Daniels lost it all
All the king’s horses, and all the king’s men
couldn’t put Jade back together again.Chapter 1JADETwo Years Ago…
I stop packing for a moment and lift my burning eyes to my friends. They spent the night at my house and have been trying to convince me to stay. “If I don’t go, I’ll end up starting a war. It’s only for the rest of the long weekend.”
Jase’s birthday party was a disaster, and I need time to process it all before school on Tuesday. My grandfather’s ranch has always been a safe haven for me.
Fallon gets up from the bed and moving closer to me, she takes hold of my hand. Her golden-brown hair is still a mess, and her soft brown eyes hold a world of understanding as she says, “You’re hurting right now. Running to your grandfather’s ranch won’t make anything better. Call Hunter and talk to him.”
Anger coats the disappointment swirling in my chest. My vision blurs, and my throat aches from all the effort it’s taking not to cry. I swallow hard and take a deep breath before the words come out, thick with hurt and anger. “If I could, I’d move to Virginia for good. Brady is ignoring my calls, and I never want to see Hunter again.”
Fallon looks to our friends for help. Mila rises from where she’s sitting on the floor amongst the scattered blankets and pillows, we used for the sleepover. “Jade, we’ve been a tight-knitted group since birth. Hunter was only looking out for you. Any of the guys would’ve done the same thing. Hunter was just the first to react. You know how protective they are of us.”
Shaking my head, I have to swallow hard to get the lump down. “Last night was supposed to be a special night for me. Hunter ruined it all.” I let out a harsh breath. “He embarrassed Brady in front of all our friends.” My shoulders slump as a wave of disappointment and sadness washes over me. “He humiliated me.” I pull my hand free from Fallon’s and reach for another shirt. Folding it, I voice my worry, “Lord only knows what happened between them when Hunter took Brady home.”
Hana stretches her body across the bed so she can reach the side table to grab her phone. “That’s it. I’m calling Hunter. We need to settle this ASAP.”
“Don’t!” Before I can continue objecting, my own phone begins to ring. Knowing the ringtone belongs to Brady, I almost break my neck when I jump over my luggage to get to the device before it can go to voicemail. “Brady!”
Breathless, I wait for his voice to come over the line.
“It’s me. Colton.” Hearing his voice makes a frown rumple my forehead.
This can’t be good. Is Brady so mad at me that he got his older brother to tell me we’re over?
Colton’s voice sounds numb as he says, “Things got bad last night.”
I fist my free hand next to my side as I stare at the wall in front of me. “Let me talk to Brady.” I need a chance to save our relationship. We’ve been dating for a year, and he’s been one of my best friends since the first day we started school.
We can’t end like this.
“Colton, we need to leave right now!” Hearing the panic in their mother’s voice makes my frown deepen.
“I’m coming,” Colton yells harshly before turning his attention back to our call. “Brady killed himself.”
Shock and confusion numb me, and it prevents the words from sinking in.
“Wh-what?” My mouth dries up, and my heart starts to beat faster.
“I have to go.”
The line goes dead. My hand drops from my ear, and my eyes creep to the phone in time to watch the screen go black. Silence stretches around me, making the air thin as my breathing speeds up.
“What did he say?” Fallon asks.
“I - I – I.” Unable to form the words, a wild panic bleeds through my body when what Colton just said begins to sink in.
No.
I shake my head and drop my phone as if it might burn me.
“Jade?” Mila comes to stand next to me, and I see the concern on my cousin’s face.
I hear a knock at my bedroom door, and it takes a lot of effort to turn my face toward it.
Daddy peeks inside. “We’re ready when you are.” His eyes meet mine, and that’s all it takes for the finality of Colton’s words to hit.
“Daddy,” I croak, and my breaths start to hitch in my throat, making it tighten with pain.