Raised voices make me turn my head toward the kitchen.
“It’s showtime!” Vera says, then looks at me. “Follow me if you want to know what I’m talking about.”
Anxiety shoots through me. I should stay exactly where I am if Candy’s deep frown is anything to go by. Nothing good could come of what Vera has to say, but I don’t like secrets and I want to know what she’s referring to.
Vera walks down the hallway and I follow. She’s smiling smugly and my stomach is queasy, my heartbeat erratic.
“You know you’re not the only one Axle’s slept with since he’s been talking to you,” Vera says in a hushed voice.
I shake my head. I don’t believe her, because I don’t trust her.
She nonchalantly shrugs. “I just thought you should know... because if you love him... I know I’d want to know if he was cheating on me.”
I yank at the collar of my shirt, which has constricted around my throat. We keep walking until we reach the kitchen. We’re behind the wall, so no one else can see us. There’s yelling. The voices belong to Grace and Axle. I start to step forward, but Vera grabs my arm and shakes her head.
“I thought she was a bet... a joke, but you’re the one that looks like a fool because you’ve fallen for her!” Grace yells.
My body grows cold. My mind spins... a bet... a joke.No! This isn’t happening. I grab my heart that’s now gaping wide open.
Axle laughs coldly. “You know nothing about how I feel.”
Why isn’t he calling her a liar?
“Yes, I do,” Grace says. “You never looked at me the way you look at her.” She’s furious, but her voice is tinged with sadness.
“Do you listen to a word I say?” Axle bites back. “I don’t know, maybe the one hundredth time I said we were only having sex. Stop your jealousy bullshit and get over it.”
“Of course I’m jealous!” she screeches, making me jerk. “I wanted to be your ol’ lady.”
He scoffs. “Well... that was never going to happen. I didn’t even know I wanted an ol’ lady until Elena.”
“Does your Saint Mother Teresa know about the bet with Viper yet?”
I assume I’m the Mother Teresa she’s referring to.
“If you dare say a word to Elena...” His voice is threatening.
Bet...A wave of nausea hits me. I fight back the urge to vomit. Tears fall fast, wetting my cheeks, but I don’t wipe away these tears of pain.
“Congratulations,” Grace says in a sickly-sweet tone. “You won the bet—you made her fall in love with you.”
And with that the knife goes through my heart and I can feel the jagged end slice right through me.
She giggles loudly. “Have you collected your money from Viper yet?”
And the knife continues pushing through my back.I clasp my hands over my mouth, trying to stop the sobbing.
“That’s enough!” Axle shouts.
“I don’t want to break her little heart,” she mocks. “But I can tell you right now she’s going to find out. Secrets don’t stay hidden.”
“Yes, they can,” Axle says harshly.
A cry tears from my mouth. I can’t stop it. My chest burns. It’s like I’m underwater and trying to breathe. I turn the corner. Grace and Axle look up, startled.
Grace’s smile is triumphant. She clicks her tongue. “Oops... looks like she knows now!”
Axle’s hands go to his head. “Elena...” He looks distraught, but I don’t believe it. He grabs at the base of his throat. “Let me explain,” he says, taking a cautious step toward me.
