Fracture Me (Shatter Me, #2.5)

by Tahereh Mafi

I’m almost too overcome to speak. James is standing in front of me, sobbing, and I don’t know if I’m dreaming. “James?” I hear Kenji say. I look back to see almost everyone has gotten out of the tank now. “Is that you, buddy?” “Addie, I’m s-sorry,” he hiccups. “I know you s-said—you s-said I wasn’t supposed to fight, but I couldn’t stay behind and I had to l-leave—” I pull him into my arms, clutching him tight, hardly able to breathe. “I wanted to f-fight with you,” he stammers. “I didn’t w-want to be a baby. I wanted t-to h-help—” “Shhhh,” I say to him. “It’s okay, James. It’s okay. We’re okay. It’s going to be okay.” “But Addie,” he says, “you don’t know what h-happened—I’d only been gone a little while and then I saw the p-planes—” I shush him again and tell him it’s okay. That we know what happened. That he’s safe now. “I’m sorry I couldn’t h-help you,” he says, pulling back to look me in the eye, his cheeks a splotchy red and streaked with tears. “I know you said I shouldn’t, but I really w-wanted to h-help—”

OH THANK GOD