“You’ve been in a relationship for a year and didn’t bother to even let us know?” Mom’s mouth falls open. “Why?”
Sawyer and I are engaged in a heated staring contest. His eyes are pleading with me not to say a word, but the moment the memories of last night resurface, the anger inside of me wins. I turn to our parents, then push the chair away.
“Your son has been dating Astrid Ford, and he says he loves her.Have a great day.” With that, I leave the dining room. All I can hear as I’m leaving is Mom and Dad shouting, and Sawyer trying to defend himself. No matter how much it hurts me that my relationship with my brother has ended on such a note, I can’t help the flutter of satisfaction that floods through my veins.
Two can play this game, Sawyer. I just happen to be a better player than you’ll ever be.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Astrid’s laying in the hospital bed, looking out the window. Sophia got her fucking good. Her eye is in a deep shade of purple, her nose crooked, and one of her bottom teeth is missing. She has barely spoken to anyone since it happened last night, and I’ve been unable to reach Sophia.
And God, I have fucking tried reaching her. It’s taking all the willpower not to waltz straight into her home and start something that I’m not sure would be the smart fucking move.
“Why did you do it, Astrid?”
My question is met with pure, and utter silence. Astrid doesn’t even acknowledge that I’m here. The silence stretches between us for what seems to be eternity, and if it weren’t for her steady breathing, I’d think she’s asleep.
I’m angry, and I don’t know what to do with all the anger inside of me. I’ve never felt such an extent of betrayal before, and Astrid isn’t helping. She’s my little sister, yet she did the most unimaginable thing to me. If she wanted to hurt Sophia, that’s one thing. The fact that shedidn’t think twice about how this would affect me is what’s bothering me.
“Astrid,” my voice lowers, a threatening tone to it appearing. She’s still refusing to look at me, and I know it’s because she’s ashamed of what she’s done. Ever since she was a kid, she’d avoid eye contact if she felt truly embarrassed by her actions, or else she’d start bawling her eyes out.
Nina’s asleep in the hospital chair next to me, her soft snoring the only reason I haven’t allowed my anger to take over just yet. Our parents are outside the room, speaking to the doctor.
It would’ve been far worse if Sawyer hadn’t pulled Sophia off Astrid in time. She should be lucky she’s not suffering any severe injuries, given how hard Sophia slammed her head against the concrete ground. Her tooth will be fixed when she heals completely, and she won’t be attending the academy for the first month of the second semester.
Slowly, Astrid turns to look at me, and as soon as we make eye contact, her eyes start leaking tears. She swallows them down, trying not to cry in front of me, and no matter how much I hate seeing my sister cry, I’m fucking furious with her.
“I’m sorry.”
The words weigh heavily between us, and the sincerity in her tone catches me off guard. The look of remorse fills her eyes, and her bottom lip quivers, her hands clutching the white sheets.
“Why?”
She looks down at her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. She’s silent for another minute, trying to figure out her next steps. Meanwhile, I’m slowly but surely running out of patience for this entire thing.
“I’m one of the people behind Sinners and Saints.”
The admission makes me falter. I’m shocked to the bone, and she can tell. Because, although I already knew, on some level, a part of me believed that my little sister isn’t so stupid, and sinister.
When she looks at me, she looks so little, so broken, and it only manages to piss me off more. She’s been the one leaking all of my information to that fucking site, and she has the audacity to look guilty?
“You’re what?!”
Nina stirs a little beside me, but doesn’t wake up. I suck in a sharp breath, trying to let go of the anger that’s threatening to burst to the surface. If Sophia found out this, no wonder she beat the living shit out of Astrid. I’d do it too, if I were in her shoes.
“Who are the other people?”
“I don’t know,” Astrid looks up at me. “I just know there’s more of them.”
“Twice, Astrid,” I chuckle, the bitter sound filling the small hospital room. “You leaked my sex tape twice. The first one with Ms. Ellie, and now this. Why? Why the fuck would you do that to me?”
“No, no!” She defends. “I didn’t do it the first time, I promise! One of the others leaked it. It wasn’t me.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that you did it last night. Why?”
“I wanted to hurt Sophia,” she mutters. “I wanted to see her perfect, little life crumble. And of course, she found a way out,” she laughs, but the sound’s devoid of any humor. “Because she always finds a way out, doesn’t she? Little Miss Perfect has friends in powerful places, with skills that I’m lacking. The image vanished off the face of the Earth, and now it’s just through word of mouth that it even existed.”
“You know, you claim to hate Sophia,” I pause, and Astrid looks me dead in the eye. “But you’re just like her. This is somethingSophia would do. She never cares what she needs to do in order to hurt someone. Well, I highly doubt she’d use Sawyer to hurt anyone, because if that girl has anything, it’s loyalty for her family.”
