Fracture Me (Shatter Me, #2.5)

by Tahereh Mafi

I loved seeing her come back to life.

A weak link can bring everything down with it, and I don’t think this is the time to be taking chances.

I’m one part furious and one part terrified, and the two are having a battle of their own in my mind.

Kenji grins. “Okay then. Let’s go get our girl back.” “My girl,” I correct him. “She’s my girl.”

Fear is all I have left now.

James must’ve been terrified. He must’ve been scared out of his mind and still, he snuck out of Omega Point because he wanted to help. Because he wanted to fight alongside us. I could kill him for it. But damn if he’s not one of the bravest people I’ve ever known.

I don’t know how to tell him I had no immediate plans to go back out there. Certainly not to fight—not after what happened to James.

Aren’t you in love with this girl? Where’s the fire under your ass? I thought you would be dying to get to her right now—”

I love Juliette. I really do. I want to help her and support her and be there for her. I want us to have a future together. But sometimes I wonder if it’s ever going to happen. This isn’t easy to admit, but part of me doesn’t want to put James at risk again—on the run again—for a girl who broke up with me. A girl who walked away from us. I don’t know what the right thing is anymore. I don’t know if my allegiance is to James or Juliette.

“We should’ve gone after her,” Kenji is saying. “I should’ve stayed behind—I should’ve tried to find her—it’s my fault,”