“I think it would help.”
I scoffed. “Oh, please.”
She frowned. “We were stuck training together for the rest of the week.”
“And what? You want to be friends? Bond like besties by giving me free advice.” I stared at her in disbelief, outrage rising in my chest. “You honestly expect me to believe you offered that from the kindness of your heart?”
“No.” Her cheeks reddened, and she shifted back to her usual bitchy and condescending self as she turned away from me with a huff. “Maybe I just don’t want you to suck.”
“Right.” I smacked my lips together. “That’syour jobnow.”
Her eyes flashed to mine, wide and furious. “What did you just say to me?”
I scoffed and shook my head, walking away without a word.
She shrieked after me. “I asked you a question!”
“And I ignored it!” I whirled back around, unable to help myself as all the pent-up anger over Max poured out of me. “As inno,I don’t want to answer you! You’ve heard it before, remember?No.The word that means jack shit to you.”
Her expression and her breathing faltered.
Unable to fathom what had just run through her head, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Not enough to stick around and ask what her problem was.
Spinning on my heel, tension vibrated up my arms. I clenched my hands into fists, wholeheartedly wishing I could release the frustration building inside me.
Needing to let out the rage before it burned me alive.
It had been eating at me since Max told me about her gift. Since their announcement in the parlor. What he’d said to me that night in the forest. And with every moment where he hid the truth from me.
Storming out of the room, I had no idea what to do. I wanted to turn around and press harder, demand answers from her whether or not she liked it. But I still didn’t know if that would hurt Max.
Once again, I felt stuck. Left wanting to scream at the top of my lungs. Convinced it was the only way to let the emotion out. It rose up in my throat, the force of it threatening to choke me if I didn’t release it.
But Josh’s panicked voice distracted me.“Whoa, it’s okay! Calm down.”
Glass shattered.
I spun around.
Vivian stood in front of the mirror, body bowed forward with her head in her hands.
Josh approached her with his palms splayed in front of him, sidestepping glass from the mirror where it had scattered across the floor. He spoke too quietly for me to hear, reaching out carefully, like she might spook.
Do something worse.
I searched for whatever she’d thrown. Whatever had crashed into the mirror, but I couldn’t find it.
Vivian’s body shook as Josh grew closer, and he glanced around for help only to find me in the doorway.
But he knew as well as I did that I wasn’t a better option.
Waving me away, he mouthed, “Get help.”
I took off, everything blurring around me.
Grabbing the first person I crossed paths with, I let them know they needed help in theSparringcenter. Whoever I told ran off as I stumbled toward my next session.
Shattering glass echoed in my head.
