Ch25

NOVA

"Noah, no. I will not have to talk to your sister like that, not when I'm standing in front of you."

"But mom..."

"No."

"She's fucking with a guy she shouldn't be around at all. He's bad news. If you care about your daughter you'd tell her to stay away from that guy."

Mom looks at me, and I can see the doubt that flashes across her face. She's skeptical of whether she should ask me anything about what Noah is sprouting.

"Ask her. She'll tell you." Noah probes mom.

"Nova, what does he mean?"

I resist the urge to say something disrespectful. It's hard... but I can. "Caleb is my friend."

"You don't know him."

"I know him well enough to know the kind of person he is. And don't talk to me, both of you."

"Nova, stop. Don't be rude to your..."

"I'm tired of everyone treating me like trash just because I made a mistake. I don't care about the others at school. I care about my own brother! He's been treating me so badly and I didn't even do shit to him! It was just Enzo and I apologize. But Noah? He doesn't get to walk past me, ignore me and then turn around and tell me what to do."

The silence that follows my outburst drops like a lead weight in the living room. Mom looks at me with wide, stunned eyes, her hand coming up to rest lightly over her chest. Noah’s jaw is clenched so tight I can see the muscle ticking in his cheek, his knuckles white where he holds them at his sides.

Even Enzo seems frozen, his phone dark in his hand now, those dark, piercing eyes locked entirely on me.

"Nova..." Mom begins. "I didn't know you felt—"

"Of course you didn't," I cut in. "Because every time I show up at school, the temperature drops below freezing. Everybody ignores me and people laugh and call me names. I'm tired, Mom. I am so damn tired."

"This isn't about us ignoring you, Nova! This is about who Caleb is. You have no idea what his family is mixed up in, what his brother does. You think he’s just some mysterious guy who noticed you? He’s playing you."

"And you aren't? You don't get to act like my protector when it's convenient for you, Noah. You lost that right when you stopped talking to me."

"Unbelievable," Noah mutters, tearing his eyes away from me and shaking his head at Mom. "Do whatever you want, Nova. Throw yourself into the fire. Just don't come crying to me when you get burned."

"I wouldn't dream of it,"

Without waiting for another word from any of them, I turn on my heel and march up the stairs. I can hear Mom call my name from the bottom of the flight, her tone pleading, but I keep moving until I reach my room.

I push the door closed and lock it, leaning my back against the wood.

My heart is hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. My hands are shaking. I sink down until I’m sitting on the floor, pulling my knees up to my chest and burying my face in my arms.

I pull out my phone from my back pocket. The screen lights up with a single notification from Bethany, setting up the details for the next initiation check-in.

I stare at the text. Kayda thinks I'm weak. Noah thinks I'm foolish.

They all want to control the narrative. But if I'm going to be forced into the villain's seat anyway, I might as well play the part properly.

I open my contacts, scroll down to Caleb’s name, and hit compose message. Thank God he'd put it in on our way here.

Hey. Left my jacket in your car... or maybe I just wanted an excuse to see you again tomorrow?

I press send, tossing the phone onto my bed, and finally take a deep breath.

Game on.