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“He’s been trying to get me to go out with him. He doesn’t take rejection well.”

Donald paused. From the way his lips quivered, I thought he was fighting back a smile. He looked at Jordan and nodded. “Hear that? He doesn’t take rejection well. Do you remember when Kiera said something very similar about the Myers boy when he acted out?”

She nodded obediently.

“She claimed he was practically haunting her,” Donald explained. “I understood. Kiera was and is a very beautiful young lady. Eventually, he spray-painted our front gate with an obscenity. Some young men can’t handle their hormones well. Now, this Ryder Garfield—”

“He can handle his hormones well,” I said quickly. “It’s his sister who can’t. She’s angry at Ryder because his parents have made him police her every action. They made him responsible for her behavior at Pacifica.”

“Why?” Jordan asked. I looked at her. Could it possibly be that Jessica’s mother hadn’t told her?

“She got pregnant at the last school they were at.”

“Pregnant?”

Donald nodded and smirked. “Star families.”

“So, what did she do today?” Jordan asked.

“She spread terrible rumors about Ryder and me in school today, and Shayne and Kory Taylor said terrible things to him just at the moment Ryder learned what his sister was doing. He was angry. Anyone would be as angry and—”

“What sort of rumors?” Donald asked.

“Rumors about us . . . about what happened when I visited their home.”

“What did happen?”

“Nothing,” I said, probably too quickly.

I saw him wince and his eyes darken. “We’ve been through something like this before with you, Sasha. Those stories . . .”

“Those were all untrue. You found that out,” I said, looking to Jordan. She looked incapable of saying anything that would help me.

“Um,” Donald said. “But let me tell you, accusations are on the front page. Acquittals are always on an inside page, sometimes buried away. People love to say where there’s smoke, there’s fire. You’ve done a terrific job of overcoming all that, Sasha. We don’t want your efforts wasted.”

“They won’t be.”

He looked away for a few moments. “As you know, I didn’t have good vibes about this boy when he was here.”

“He’s a very sensitive, very intelligent person. It’s not easy to grow up with famous parents.”

“Maybe so, but that’s not our concern. Our concern is you. We have taken on the responsibility for your welfare, Sasha. You know firsthand how difficult things have been for us with Kiera. We are determined not to make the same mistakes with you.

“For now,” he continued, turning directly to me, “we would like you not to be seeing this boy socially. Let things die down, and maybe—”

“That’s not fair!” I said. “This wasn’t his fault!”

I knew I was shouting. My words thundered around me. Jordan stared at me, and Donald’s face hardened.

He spoke very quietly, with obviously forced self-control. “We would like you to step back. You’re not to bring him here again, and you’re certainly not to go to his house.”

“But he needs me,” I said.

“Needs you?” Now Donald did smile. “You’re barely seventeen, and I don’t think you’re experienced enough to provide therapy to an obviously troubled teenager, Sasha.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean, yes, he needs a friend, and that would be like therapy, but—”

“We don’t want you to see him socially,” Donald hammered, pronouncing each word distinctly. “Is this clear? Do you understand? If you defy us, you’ll be grounded, and I’ll see to it that the car is taken away from you.”