The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 85

“Petty!”

The wind screamed in her ears like something straight out of a nightmare.

Petty tumbled from the edge of the cliff, her whole body hurtling downward. In those seconds before she thought she would die, she heard Franco’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp as a blade, slicing right through her heart.

Then, out of nowhere, a cold hand clamped around hers, halting her fall.

Her heart seemed to stop with her body. She blinked, her eyes burning red, and through the swirling gray mist she saw Franco. He was clinging to a tangle of vines on the cliff, reaching out for her.

“Hold on to me!”

She could almost feel her own heart bleeding out.

Franco.

A memory flashed in her mind. She was seven, locked in the school bathroom, choking on smoke. Franco had burst in, dragged her out of the darkness, and told everyone she belonged to the White family. No one was allowed to mess with her.

But now… he’d forgotten all of that. In the end, he was the one who hurt her the most.

Suddenly, the vines slipped lower.

They snagged on a jutting rock, barely holding.

Franco’s knuckles were white as he gripped her hand. His eyes were dark, deep, and unreadable.

“Hold on to me. Do you hear me?” His voice was low, steady, almost desperate.

The vines had dried out in the autumn winds and snow. There was no way they could support both of them.

Petty’s eyes stung, rimmed with red.

He was right about one thing.

If she died now, wouldn’t that just make things easier for him and Laura?

Franco… why are you doing this?

Her other hand just hung at her side. She didn’t try to grab him.

“Petty!” Franco shouted her name, his voice nearly torn apart by the wind. The veins stood out on his hand where he gripped her.

The vines started to give way. He braced his foot against the cliff, ignoring the stubborn look in her eyes, and started to pull her up, inch by inch.

But then the vines slipped again.

Suddenly, Jay—bleeding and limping—threw himself across the cliff edge. He grabbed the rock with one hand and reached for Franco’s wrist with the other.

For a moment, Petty’s mind went completely blank. It took all her effort to pry open a small gap between Franco’s arm and her waist.

But then his arm tightened again, even harder than before, as if he wanted to fuse her to him.

“Ugh!” The cut on her forehead banged against his chest and she let out a muffled groan.

There was a soft rustling as Franco moved, sitting up.

His hand found her shoulder first, then a warm coat settled over her.

Petty froze, feeling his hands moving over her in the darkness.

He didn’t say anything. Not even a sound.

He just kept patting her down, checking her all over.

“What are you doing?” Petty finally grabbed his hand as it moved toward her chest.

She knew Franco wasn’t being a creep, not now, but the way he just touched her without a word made her skin crawl.

The hand under hers twitched but didn’t pull away. He just left his palm resting on her side, finally still.