Damaged Love - Jaxson Kidman

Prologue

at least i’m dressed

The way everyone is staring at me, I casually look down to make sure I remembered to put clothes on. Everyone stands perfectly against their lockers. Their eyes moving with each step I take down the hallway. At the end of the hallway there’s a large set of doors. It’s not the same doors I’m used to seeing, but at this point, it’s a set of doors.

It’s an escape.

I get to leave.

I’m able to get into Tank Two and drive away.

Drive home.

Well, not home. I don’t exactly really have much of a home.

It’s more like a place of comfort.

I tell myself that’s exactly what a home is, but I fear if I admit that it’s actually home, then I’m admitting that my relationship with my mother might actually work out.

My feet shuffle down the hallway.

Not a person speaks.

They just keep staring.

I see Gia between two girls.

She stares like the others do.

“Gia,” I whisper. “Come with me. Right now. Please. Come with me.”

Gia doesn’t move.

She doesn’t respond.

I guess she and I are in some kind of fight now.

Great.

Just what I need on top of everything else that’s going on.

I want to stop and talk to Gia but my feet keep moving.

I have no idea what’s happening.

But why not, right?

I’ve only been almost killed in an accident. I lost my memory. Got it back. Now I’m pretending I still don’t have my memory so I can get some revenge on the guys who did it.

This is perfect.

Just freaking per…

I’m not sure how it happens, but a figure appears at the end of the hallway.

It’s Easton.

Smoking a cigarette.

Staring right at me.

I quickly turn my head, my mind already wanting to go back.

But I can’t.

That’s where Noah is standing.

In his nice clothes, but there’s nothing nice about him.

I take a deep breath.

I slowly look to my right.

Yup.

There’s Xavier.

He’s the closest of the three.

I suddenly realize I’m wearing his hoodie.

The one he let me borrow the night he showed up at my mother’s beach house.

“I want my hoodie back,” he says. “And more.”

Xavier takes one step and I start to run to my left.

I find another hallway to run down.

I keep going.

There’s no stopping me.

I hear the sound of their footsteps behind me.

They aren’t running but they’re able to stay with me.

When I finally push open a door and feel the sunlight hit me, it’s freedom.

I run toward the parking lot, plotting my escape from it all for good.

My feet move faster.

Faster and faster…

I see Tank Two.

And I see Noah.

I have no idea how he got there so fast…

I plant my feet and stop running.

“Where are you running to?” Xavier asks from behind me.

Xavier touches my right arm.

Easton touches my left arm.

Noah walks toward me.

“I just want to leave,” I say. “I want to go home. I want to forget everything.”

Noah points at me. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?”

“What?” I ask.

“You remember everything, Winter,” Noah says.

“Nice try,” Easton says.

“Now it’s time to face the truth,” Xavier says.

They all start to laugh.

Tears fill my eyes.

Chapter 1

time of the month

I sat up in my bed and didn’t need to look around or take a deep breath. I wasn’t broken out in sweat or clutching the sheets either.

Sadly, that dream was now just part of my normal nightly routine.

There was nothing that could chase it away either.

I had tried a drink before bed.

I had tried not to drink before bed.

There was some chamomile tea that I drank… that did nothing for me.

No matter what, as soon as I caught myself in a nice, deep sleep, the dream would pop up. Tiny pieces of the dream would change here and there, but it was always the same cast of characters.

And why not?

I was walking a very thin edge worse than ever, thanks to Gia’s confession.

Winter… Xavier is my brother…

The words hit me over and over again.

I had gotten so close to Gia. I considered her my best friend, but it was obvious I didn’t know much about her. My entire plan to get revenge on Noah, Easton, and Xavier always seemed to be ready to blow up at any minute, but this one was really tough.

After the confession, I told Gia I had to go home.

That feeling in my body and head started to kick up again and I took off before I could ask her any of the questions that raced through my mind.

I should have stayed with her on the beach that night.

I should have asked those questions.

Instead, I ran and hid.

I decided to hole