The Three Who Chose Me

Josie

I didn’t want to cry again.

I’d already lost count of the times I had. But the ache inside me wasn’t going away, no matter how many tears I wiped away, no matter how tightly I clutched my arms to my chest like they could somehow hold me together.

Marcy sat beside me on the edge of the bed, her fingers lightly rubbing slow, comforting circles into my back. The gentle pressure should have soothed me. Instead, it only reminded me of everything that wasn’t right.

"You’ve been through a lot, Josie," she said softly, her voice a cushion of concern. "The way they’re treating you now—it’s not about you. It’s their egos."

I turned my face toward her, blinking through the thin veil of tears. My voice came out raw. "That’s not true," I whispered. "It has to be me. What else could it be?"

Marcy let out a sigh that sounded like it had been building in her chest all day. "Josie, come on. You really think this is because of something you did? You were kidnapped. Hurt. You came back barely breathing. And now you’re blaming yourself for the way they’re acting? That’s not fair."

I clenched my jaw, my gaze dropping to the blanket in my lap. "They barely look at me anymore. They act like I’m some kind of... ghost. Thorne... he won’t even acknowledge me. It’s like I’m a stain they can’t scrub out."

"That’s not your fault," she said again, firmer this time. "It’s their problem, not yours."

But I shook my head, arms wrapping tighter around myself. "No. I should have been stronger. I should’ve fought harder. If I had... maybe they wouldn’t be acting like this. Maybe they wouldn’t be so ashamed of me."

Marcy stood abruptly, a frown drawing her brows together. "You’re being too hard on yourself, Josie. If you keep thinking like this—if you keep carrying all their weight—you’re going to lose yourself. And then, they really won’t have anything left to hold onto."