I considered running after Grace, but I needed to get rid of Charlotte once and for all. I thought I already had, but some animals put up a ght. She was ruining everything. Grace was right. I should have made sure Charlotte didn’t come around again. She looked at me the same way I looked at Grace, and I knew that was dangerous because she couldn’t have me.
“A mistake?” Charlotte’s voice shook. Tears gathered at the corners of her
bloodshot eyes.
I nodded. It wasn’t new information, so I didn’t understand why she was back here again.
Her skin ushed as she glared at me. “I’ll show you a mistake.” It came o like a threat, but I wasn’t sure what she was threatening.
I raised my chin. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I slept with Joe,” she seethed. “Last night.” Charlotte pushed past me “And I told him everything!”
My eyes went wide.
“Told him what?” I yelled, reaching for her. My ngers gripped her arm, pressing into her skin. She swung her other arm, thrusting her balled st into my eye.
I pushed her hard—too hard. She fell back onto the ground, her skull hitting the gravel with a thud. She laid there for a moment, stunned. When she sat up, Charlotte pressed her ngers against the back of her head and
brought them in front of her face. ere was blood.
“Char, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” I tried to help her up. She swatted my hand away and stood on her own, wobbly and unsteady. She touched the back of her head again and looked at her ngers. More blood.
“Let me take you home,” I pleaded.
She looked at me through her splayed, bloodstained ngers. “I’m done keeping your secrets.”
“Secrets? What are you talking about? What did you tell Joe?” My hands ran over my face, pulling at my skin. I took a deep breath.
She backed away as if she were afraid of me, afraid of what I would do.
en she turned and marched angrily back to her car, the back of her head saturated with blood from the gouge.
I thought she would speed out of here, but she took her time starting her car and driving o . I looked down at my own hands. ey weren’t still. ey shook like an addict going through withdrawals. I tried to steady them but they wouldn’t. Her vehicle disappeared down the road, and my mind went back to her parting words. I’m done keeping your secrets. What did Charlotte know?
