Page 104 of Knight

“She’ll always be trash from The Grove. Not like her sister.”

And just like that, I’m back at zero.

* * *

Damien ignores me for the next week.

Hell, everyone does.

The social outcasts themselves want nothing to do with me. Even Willow doesn’t want to be around the mess that is her older sister. She denies it but it’s true. I’m so alone that I even contemplated asking the Archibalds if they have any events I can attend.

I don’t have Zane anymore. And I could blame Damien but I know that if it wasn’t for him, who knows what Zane would’ve done to me that night. He would have kept coming back if it wasn’t for whatever deal Damien struck up.

Great, and now I’m praising the devil when he’s the one that got me shot.

I’m a mope when Friday rolls around. I have nothing to look forward to. I’ve been too down to even try to explain the situation to Clara. She’s made her decision.

A squeal comes out of Willow’s bedroom while I’m trying to bury my nose in a book. Bella’s with her again. They’re glued at the hip and while I’m happy for her, I’m the slightest bit annoyed. Okay, the biggest bit.

Throwing my book onto the comforter I get up from my bed to shut her door. If we can’t hang out, I don’t want a reminder of it. I want to be alone, in my room, hoodie over my head so I can brood in peace. To be honest I want to be anywhere but here. I’ve been thinking about skipping out again. Out of this town. Out of life. The thought of Willow’s face when she realizes I’m gone is the only thing holding me back.

“Sssh,” Willow says when my hand hits the doorknob to her bedroom. “I don’t want Jo to know.”

My eyes narrow. The fuck? Swinging the door open I ask for clarity, “Don’t want me to know what?”

My sister looks like she’s about to jump out of whatever the fuck it is she’s wearing. I swear her skirts keep getting shorter and while I thought The Grove was bad for her, Eden’s not any better.

“Geez, Jo!” Willow says in a sparkly black mini dress. She looks like a goddamn disco ball. A disco ball with bright red lipstick. “Were you standing there the whole time?” She flips her straight hair behind her shoulder and Bella laughs which annoys me even more.

Ignoring her sass, I repeat my question, “Don’t want me to know what, Low?”

Willow meets my gaze and I give her one that slices whatever lie she wants to tell me in half. Her shoulders drop, heels in her hand. She can hardly look at me when she says, “About King’s party.”

My jaw clenches, my grip on the doorknob getting tighter and if I’m not careful I’ll rip the thing off. “You’re going back to Damien’s?” He’s having another party he didn’t invite me to? Is he just going back to his life like nothing happened all because I couldn’t trust him? No one can trust him!

“Jo?” My sister’s looking at me like I’ve lost it and I’m wondering if my face is as twisted as it feels. “Is that okay? Please, don’t be mad but the Supreme Squad will be there and Lea says she’ll tell everyone how great I’ve be—”

“You’re not going.”

Her head jerks back, “What?”

“Oop.” Bella gets comfortable as if she’s settling in for a show.

“I said, you’re not going,” I turn to walk away but her voice stops me.

“I am going.” Her voice is firmer than I’ve ever heard it, striking a burn right to my heart.

I turn around, eyeing her up in disbelief. “No. You’re not.”

“You can’t tell me what to do!” she spits. “Just because you’re social suicide doesn’t mean you have to be jealous every time I get invited to King’s.”

Is she being serious? “The last time you went to King’s you almost got manhandled by an idiot!”

“I know what I’m doing,” she says, nose to the ceiling.

“Clearly, you don’t.” I want to pull that dress right off of her, those sparkling earrings too. “Now take that shit off.”

“No.” She’s standing her ground and while I want to be proud, she’s pissing me the fuck off. I’m only looking out for her. Only telling her what’s best. “I’m going to that party and there’s nothing you can do about it.” She slams the door in my face and I’m stunned, blinking at the white wood before I try to open it again.

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