Fracture Me (Shatter Me, #2.5)

by Tahereh Mafi

“Yeah, and I still don’t know why.” He cuts me off. “Mom always used to call you Addie—” “Well Mom’s dead, isn’t she?” My voice has gone hard. My hands are clenched. And when I see the look on James’s face, I’m instantly sorry for being so harsh.

What a thing to say to your 10 year old brother

Kenji never gets mad when I ask questions. He never ignores me. He’s never mean to me, and you’re being m-mean to me, and I don’t like it when you l-laugh at me

She does that occasionally—repeats the same word over and over again. I’m not sure she’s even aware of it.

Signs of an actual mental illness then

Sometimes I think this whole movement is led by a bunch of idiots.

Kenji and Castle are always blowing smoke up her ass when they shouldn’t, and honestly? It’s dangerous. It’s not good to make her think she can do this kind of thing when really, it’ll probably get her killed.

So are you in love with her or do you get off on hating her?

So yeah, I’m worried. I’m really worried something is going to happen to her. And maybe to us, by extension.

She’s like the second coming of James.

Kenji grins. “Okay then. Let’s go get our girl back.” “My girl,” I correct him. “She’s my girl.” Kenji snorts as we head in the direction of the compounds. “Right. Minus the part where she’s not actually your girl. Not anymore.”

YOU TELL HIM KENJI

“Dude, what the hell are you talking about? 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

RIGHT??????

Everyone is consoling Kenji now, trying to reassure him that there’s no guilt necessary. No person to blame for all this. But I can’t agree. I trip backward until I hit the wall, leaning against it for support. I know who to blame. I know where the fault lies. Juliette is dead because of me.

You deserve to live with that