Re: Great Gatsby: Jude/Clem/Shane/Graham
"I didn't bring anyone anywhere," she replied, voice trembling with things gone bad, and her whole body shaking from nerves and fear that was built up over months. "I threaten you because you're bringing things in to hurt folks who haven't done a thing to you just now. I just want to go be safe," she said, but her voice was trembling, and that glass was plain embedded in her palm now, blood dripping more freely. It should hurt, him saying she wasn't his kin, but she was too numb for hurting, broke clear down the middle in two parts. There'd be Isaac after this, and she wasn't getting any damn happy ending, and she had to shut off feeling or that'd kill her. Once, she would've told Jude all about that. But not now. Not after this.
"No one's coming back here, Jude. No one did a damn thing to you today. You did this. This was your reckoning," and she turned to go, not hurting a hair on his pretty head, but he tossed her away, and the stairs were hard against her bruised body. Her momma, she thought, before the world stopped at the bottom, would approve of falling, mink splayed open and bruised belly visible where the sage rucked up, ugly purple and black instead of pretty-skin pale.
"He- Lying. Chloe's idea," she managed, looking toward Graham and Shane. Hadn't been hers. "Said blackmail Neil. Went along with it, though- Did-" Talking stopped and blood pooled at the corner of her mouth, and she didn't even notice him going. Her eyes were long since closed, and that shard of glass was impaled deep in her open hand.