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

Chapter Thirty-Six
Kenji is swearing, bleeding, running out of expletives and
tripping his way toward the bathroom, holding his nose
together.
Adam pulls me into James’ bedroom.
“Tell me something,” he says. He stares up at the ceiling,
takes a hard breath. “Tell me anything—”
I try to focus his eyes, grasp his hands, gentle gentle
gentle. I wait until he’s looking at me. “Nothing is going to
happen to James. We’ll keep him safe. I promise.”
His eyes are full of pain like I’ve never seen them before.
He parts his lips. Presses them together. Changes his mind a
million times until his words tumble through the air between
us. “He doesn’t even know about our dad.” It’s the first time
he’s acknowledged the issue. It’s the first time he’s
acknowledged that I know anything about it. “I never
wanted him to know. I made up stories for him. I wanted him
to have a chance to be normal.” His lips are spelling secrets
and my ears are spilling ink, staining my skin with his
stories. “I don’t want anyone to touch him. I don’t want to
screw him up. I can’t—God I can’t let it happen,” he says to
me. Hushed. Quiet.
I’ve searched the world for all the right words and my
mouth is full of nothing.
“It’s never enough,” he whispers. “I can never do enough.
He still wakes up screaming. He still cries himself to sleep.
He sees things I can’t control.” He blinks a million times. “So
many people, Juliette.”
I hold my breath.
“Dead.”