~~RAPHAEL~~
I’d walked for miles, circling the grounds, trying to bleed the venom of the fight out of my system.
Axel and I hadn't come to blows like that before. We fight, but with words, not our fists. That fight was raw, ugly, and it was… entirely my fault. I should have controlled my emotions. The way he looked at me when I said those things—the contempt, the utter lack of recognition—it burned worse than the bruise on my ribs.
I pull the collar of my torn shirt closer. I wasn’t ready to face anyone or the inevitable clean-up, but the silence of the night is starting to feel less like peace and more like a suffocating judgment.
I pull my phone out of my pocket. Three missed calls from Brad. I ignore them. Brad only called when he was dealing with Mom’s latest episode or if he could
