I knew Xander never had ill intentions—the guy didn’t have a bad bone in his body—but that didn’t mean I wasn’t hurt. Until now, spending time with him had felt like…like there was one perfect part of my life that wasn’t contaminated by the craziness of Violet’s world. It didn’t escape me that I was being hypocritical, because if I hadn’t gone to Comic Con with her, I never would have met Xander. But I couldn’t help the way I felt.
I glanced away from Xander, attempting to sort through my emotions, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Violet watching us through the glass door. Something inside me snapped. I sprang to my feet and stormed over to her, yanking the door open before she could blink.
“Why do you do it?” I demanded.
Violet blanched at my tone. “What are you talking about?”
“Why do you weasel your way into every part of my life and ruin it? I finally find someone who doesn’t have anything to do with your crazy bullshit, so of course you have to get involved, don’t you?”
Her breath hitched. “Seriously, Indie? Me and Xander working together is completely unrelated to whatever relationship you twohave. I get that you don’t like my career, but that doesn’t make me the selfish, narcissistic person you seem to think I am.”
“You’re joking right? Your careerruinedour family.” I was so angry, I could feel heat rolling off me in waves. My shoulders rose and fell several times as I tried to keep myself from exploding. “It’s the reason why Mom and Dad aren’t together anymore, and I will never forgive you for that.”
I didn’t know what reaction my accusation would elicit from Violet, but laughter wasn’t it. Granted, I doubted the noise coming from her mouth could be considered laughter. Not when it sounded so ugly and cold.
“Because Dad worked so much that Mom got lonely, right?” she practically spat.
“Exactly.”
“Wrong.”
“What do you mean, wrong?”
“Well, maybe you’d know what I’m talking about if, for once in your life, you focused on something other than yourself. But no, you’re too busy playing the victim card and whining about me auditioning forLady Phoenix.”
My hands started to tremble. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” she said, her lips curling into an ugly sneer. “You’re so self-absorbed that you blame your problems on everyone but yourself. You treat me like crap because you’re too afraid to take responsibility for your own unhappiness.”
Her words struck me like a sledgehammer. I lurched back a step as my stomach tightened, forcing the air from my lungs. How wasit my fault that Dad never had time for me? Or that I’d lost my best friend when she chose acting over her own sister? Ifthiswas what our relationship boiled down to, then I couldn’t do it anymore.
“I’m done with you,” I said flatly, even as my eyes burned with tears.
Without another word, I spun on my heels and marched over to the bench where Xander was sitting. He looked shell-shocked, his eyes wide and mouth parted slightly. I snatched my purse off the bench and darted toward my car, not bothering to say goodbye.
“That’s right,” Violet yelled. “Run away like you always do!”
The volume of her voice must have jolted Xander out of whatever fog he’d been stuck in, because I suddenly heard his feet slapping against the pavement as he chased after me.
“Indie, wait!” he called, but I ignored him.
After unlocking my car door, I threw my purse onto the passenger seat and whipped out of my parking spot as fast as I could. I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Xander standing in the middle of the lot, watching me drive away, but I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t.
I needed to get away.
* * *
I cranked the volume up on the radio and drove.
And drove.
And drove.
All over LA. Down to Santa Monica Pier. Then all the way up to Griffith Observatory. Eventually I wound up on the interstate heading out of the city.
At first, I didn’t know where I was going. What I did know was that with each mile I put behind me, the quieter the pounding in my ears became. I couldn’t control Violet’s or Dad’s actions, but at least here, in the driver’s seat, I was in charge.
