Chapter 216

Jacob's Perspective Finally, the injury had fully healed. I could feel the strength surging back into my muscles—no longer that useless wreck who worried about tearing open his wounds with a brisk walk. All those days confined to bed, one thought kept circling in my head: I had to get Brett's stolen body back. Not for redemption—hell, I knew some things could never be made right. This was for Celena. I could feel it, that incident festering like a poisoned thorn in her heart, wedged between us. Unless I yanked it out, she'd never truly look at me without seeing her dead brother staring back. I drew a deep breath and went to find her. She was sitting on the yard swing, rocking gently back and forth. Sunlight spilled over her hair, casting a golden halo around her. God, she was stunning. "Hey, Celena," I said as I walked over, my throat tight and dry. She lifted her head, her brown eyes meeting mine with little emotion. "Yeah?" I opened m