Shatter-Me-PDF-Shatter-Me-Series-Shatter-Me-Shatter-Me-1-Tahereh-Mafi (1)

“It was an accident,” I choke out, failing not to fall apart.
“He—h-he fell—and I was trying to help him—and I just—I
didn’t—I thought—”
“I know.”
“What?” I gasp so loud I’ve swallowed the entire room in
one breath.
“I believe you,” he says to me.
“What . . . why?” My eyes are blinking back tears, my
hands unsteady, my heart filled with nervous hope.
He bites his bottom lip. Looks away. Walks to the wall.
Opens and closes his mouth several times before the words
rush out. “Because I knew you, Juliette—I—God—I just—” He
covers his mouth with his hand, drops his fingers to his
neck. Rubs his forehead, closes his eyes, presses his lips
together. Pries them open. “That was the day I was going to
talk to you.” A strange sort of smile. A strange sort of laugh.
He runs a hand through his hair. Looks up at the ceiling.
Turns his back to me. “I was finally going to talk to you. I
was finally going to talk to you and I—” He shakes his head,
hard, and attempts another painful laugh. “God, you don’t
remember me.”
Hundreds of thousands of seconds pass and I can’t stop
dying.
I want to laugh and cry and scream and run and I can’t
choose which to do first.
I confess.
“Of course I remember you.” My voice is a strangled
whisper. I squeeze my eyes shut. I remember you every day
forever in every single broken moment of my life. “You were
the only one who ever looked at me like a human being.”
He never talked to me. He never spoke a single word to
me, but he was the only one who dared to sit close to my
fence. He was the only one who stood up for me, the only
person who fought for me, the only one who’d punch
someone in the face for throwing a rock at my head. I didn’t
even know how to say thank you.