Perfectly Broken Read Online Free PDF

up and wiping a cold rag across the back of my neck.

    I groaned as I swam back into consciousness, the cold tile against my cheek feeling somehow comforting while my entire body ached. I blinked slowly, letting my eyes focus in the semi-darkness. It was daylight outside the small window but the bathroom light was off. There was a plastic cup in front of me with a bottle of Ibuprofen, the same thing I'd left for Zane on the few occasions he'd made himself sick trying to forget his pain.
    "Oh, God," I rasped the words as I pushed myself upright . The blanket that had been placed over me slid to my waist as I reached slowly for the cup, wishing I didn't have to move again. Ever.
    "You going to make it?" Zane asked from the doorway where he leaned against the frame , his hair disheveled . His glasses didn’t mask the pale blue of his eyes but made the dark circles under them more prominent.
    I cleared my throat after swallowing three pills from the bottle, my mouth tasted horrible. "I'd rather not at this point."  
    "It'll only get better from here. The next few hours will be rough, though. I recommend a shower first." Zane sighed and grabbed a washcloth from the counter, running it under the water before handing it to me.
    I raised my hand slowly to take it, wishing I could just go back to sleep. I laid the cool fabric across the back of my neck and took a small drink of the water, feeling the heaviness of it in my hollow stomach.
    "I'm sorry," I said after I swallowed. I knew I was apologizing for a lot of things. Zane leaned back against the counter, gripping the edge with both hands as he looked down at me. I stared up at him, noticing the grey pajama pants he was wearing and how low they hung on his hips, bearing a tiny flash of tanned skin along his abdomen where his shirt didn't quite meet them. He cleared his throat and I forced my eyes back up to his face, catching his raised eyebrow.
    With my legs curled off to one side covered by a blanket and my hair pulled back in a sloppy bun, I suddenly felt like a child. I hated that feeling. I wanted to stand strong and pretend that even this, even last night, couldn't bring me down. It's what I needed to do. I tossed the blanket aside and started to push myself up, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head and blinking away the dizziness.
    "Whoa. Slow, Pix. You trying to make it worse?" Zane steadied me as I leaned against the wall across from him. I noticed the rugs from our long bathroom had been removed at some point during my stay last night but I pushed the thought aside and looked up at him.
    I waited, wanting him to acknowledge my apology. After a moment , he glanced at the door . Reaching a long arm over to knock it with his fingertips, he closed it partway so our voices wouldn't travel down the hall. "What exactly are you apologizing for? Making yourself sick? Because I've done that , too , and you've taken care of me. It happens. I just don't like that you got that drunk out there alone."
    "I wasn't alone," I muttered petulantly, crossing my arms . The need to defend my actions bubbled up, rolling inside me along with the water on my empty stomach. His eyes moved to my arms with the motion.
    He ran both hands through his hair, locking his fingers behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "Exactly."
    "I'm sorry for all of it… for the competition with Lizzie. I know I upset you and it was your birthday. I promise I only started it to help you , but I got caught up in winning. You know me." I shrugged. He slowly lowered his gaze back to mine as I spoke. "I should've backed off. It wasn't my place."
    "You think I'm upset because you mopped the floor with Lizzie? Fuck, Pixie, that was epic. I've never seen anyone move like that . I was mad because… well, I wasn't even really mad… but, I ran outside to find you and you were already gone," he said. He dropped his arms as he pushed off the counter, taking a slow step toward me. "What I don't understand is why you've