Page 48

CHAPTER 48

ARIELLA

I t had been a few weeks without a word from EJ, and it was starting to look more and more like he was all talk, but I decided I was done waiting. Ariella made it clear every day that I couldn't be everywhere with her, and she was right. So, there was only one way to ensure she was safe, and that was to make sure he knew the consequences of even looking sideways at Ariella.

I didn't know a lot about EJ, but I knew he was usually the first to the gym every morning. Since he was always with his friends and I needed to get him alone, that was probably my only chance.

Leaning against the wall in the dim hallway, I patiently waited for EJ to show up. I was done waiting for them to make a move. I was putting an end to it today.

A whistling echoed through the empty hallway, and I knew it was EJ. Crossing my arms over my chest, my gaze dropped to the floor as I reminded myself that I didn't have to kill him.

He rounded the corner, and the whistling stopped, replaced with a groan. "What the fuck do you want, Knight," he said as he strolled up to me.

I shoved off the wall with my foot. "Rumor has it you're planning on hurting Ariella."

He huffed out an exaggerated sigh of annoyance. "That's the thing about rumors, Knight," he smirked. "They're usually not true." He rolled his eyes as he moved to sidestep around me like the conversation was over.

My vision narrowed to a pinpoint, blood rushing in my ears. My muscles coiled tight before releasing in one explosive movement. Before he could register what was happening, my forearm was pressed against his windpipe; his back slammed into the cold cinderblock wall. Each panicked heartbeat in his throat pulsed against my skin.

My gaze held his. "That's the thing, Ethan, usually isn't good enough."

He thrashed against my grip and clawed at my arm. "If you or anyone on your team even uses her name, I will kill you." I added more pressure, and his eyes widened. "You won't find me waiting for you. By the time you see me, it will be too late. You'll be dead." And I meant every fucking word.

The color drained from his face, replaced by an ashen gray that deepened to a dusky blue around his lips. His eyes bulged, bloodshot and watering, silently pleading where his voice couldn't.

"Do you understand me?"

He frantically nodded, and I released him, taking a step back. He fell forward, gripping his knees as he sucked in air, drool trailing down his chin. "What.” Breath. "The Fuck." Another breath. "Is wrong with you?"

"Me." I touched my finger to my chest, a humorless laugh escaping my lips. Something raw and desperate clawed at my insides. "Are you really going to deny saying you were going to ruin Ariella for me?"

For a moment, I hated how my voice betrayed me, how obvious it was that she wasn't just another girl to me.

He groaned, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Man, I was just mad." He rubbed his throat, voice raspy. "Truthfully, I never really even liked Ariella. I liked someone else, but because of the stupid rules, I couldn't date her."

"Who?" I narrowed my eyes skeptically.

EJ hesitated, rubbing his neck. "Lauren Taylor."

"The skater?" The name caught me off guard. Lauren was the ice queen. She only dated hockey players, but maybe that was because of the rules.

He nodded, a flash of vulnerability crossing his face. "We met last summer during a community service thing for the school. Your little stunt with Ariella—" His voice lowered. "It made everyone realize how stupid the team-dating rule was. So thanks for that, I guess."

I studied his expression, looking for any sign of deception. The way his eyes met mine wasn't the look of someone constructing a lie.

I didn't respond, but I believed him, plus he knew the consequences of hurting Ariella now.

"If we're done here," he panted. "I would like to get my workout in before everyone gets here."

"As long as we're clear." I held his gaze, unwavering.

He nodded a single sharp movement. "Then we're done."

EJ backed toward the locker room, eyes never leaving mine until the door swung shut between us.

I waited, counting my heartbeats as they slowed. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. Only then did I allow myself to turn away.

My footsteps echoed against the polished floor. The adrenaline that had fueled me moments ago began to recede, leaving behind a hollow satisfaction. A small smile tugged at my lips. EJ was many things—arrogant, impulsive, and desperate for approval, but he wasn't stupid. The fear I'd seen flash in his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

Ariella was safe now.

At least from him.

As the tension drained from my shoulders, I rounded the corner and froze. There she was, leaning against the wall, echoing my earlier stance.

A slow smirk spread across my face, masking the chaos of emotions beneath. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"I told you he was all talk," she said, ignoring my question.

"Whether he was or not," I forced a cocky smile and tilted my head. "I wasn't willing to take a chance." I stepped forward into her space. My hands curled around her hips. "But I don't think we have to worry anymore. His attention is on someone else."

"I was never worried," she smiled, but the slight quiver in her voice betrayed her.

My hands trembled slightly as I cupped her face. My thumb traced her bottom lip, and I watched her eyes soften.

"The thought of anyone touching you, frightening you, hurting you—" My voice broke. I couldn't finish the sentence. It left me raw and exposed in a way that terrified me more than any confrontation ever could.

"I will never take the chance," I whispered, forehead pressed to hers, my breath mingling with hers, "when it comes to someone hurting you."

What I didn't say: I'd already failed at this once. I wouldn't fail again.

There was a long pause, and we both knew I wasn't just talking about EJ anymore. The thought of what my mom could have done still made my stomach churn.

"Did you decide if you were going to go see your mom?" Ariella's voice softened, her fingers gently squeezing mine.

I dropped my hands, feeling the familiar tightness in my chest whenever my mother was mentioned. The hallway suddenly felt too small, too confining.

A week ago, I got a message from my mother that she wanted to see me. She wanted the chance to explain herself.

When I saw her handwriting on the envelope, something calcified inside me. Each word I'd read had turned the key in that lock one more turn until it was sealed shut. I'd watched my hands tear the paper into confetti, each piece falling into the trash. Some doors weren't meant to be reopened.

I'd decided at that moment that I never wanted to see her again.

It was bad enough that we'd all have to face her again in court.

"No," I said, slipping my hand into Ariella's as we slowly headed to the exit. "There's nothing she can say to me at this point that would change how I feel about her."

Even though I still had lots of unanswered questions, like how my mom was connected with Officer Tanner, how she was connected with the school shooter, and how she got Kacie's phone after the accident. I knew I would never get the real answers from her. In her mind, she was the victim. She was a narcissist. She'd lied about everything.

After everything happened, Claire and my father answered the majority of Ariella’s and my questions. Our first question was how Claire ended up with Kacie's phone.

She explained that she had no idea what was in the box. She'd found the black box wrapped in Kacie's sweater in what used to be Anne's closet. She shoved it to the top of the closet and forgot about it, and I realized that was what my mother had been looking for the whole time. By the end of the conversation, we had a clearer picture, and it turned out nothing was what it seemed. Not even my dad and Claire's relationship. Both of them swore there was never an affair. Anne made it all up to turn me against them, and I'd fallen for it.

I couldn't say exactly what the future held for any of us. The road ahead was uncertain, full of court dates and painful reminders. But for the first time in a long time, I felt something unfamiliar settle in my chest: peace.

Even though there'd always be a missing piece where my sister should be, an absence I would carry forever, I could breathe now. The weight of her death no longer pressed down on my shoulders, crushing me with every step. Some part of me would always wonder if I could have saved her, but that question no longer defined me.

We'd all finally gotten the closure we needed. Not an ending, but a way to carry our grief forward instead of being buried beneath it.

And Ariella. The way she looked at me now, like she could see past all my broken pieces to something worth salvaging, it humbled me. I wanted to spend the rest of my life making up for everything I'd done to her. Not because I owed her, though I did, but because loving her made me want to be better than I was.

I slid my arm around Ariella's shoulders, drawing her close. "Come on," I said softly, "I'll get you a coffee before class."