Page 31 of No Place Left to Hide

Instead, he whips back behind us and my rearview mirror is all headlights again.

What. The. Fuck.

“Are you even listening to me?” Jena asks, sounding half irritated and half worried. If my face shows even a fraction of what I’m feeling inside, I probably look like I swallowed a pine cone.

But I can’t summon a smile or an unaffected vibe right now. Not when it seems like the Bronco is inching closer and closer to my car.

“Brooke—”

I shake my head to stop her. “Shut up for a second… I think we’re being followed.”

Nine

Before

September 2nd

I burst through the last of the crowd as Felix’s fist slams into Beau’s horrified face.

With athudof cartilage connecting, knuckles to nose, Beau drops like a sack of lead. Everyone around me scrambles back, the crowd re-forming behind the couch where they have a barrier between themselves and the impending fight. Claire casually steps off the coffee table and settles herself onto the couch like she’s front row at a prize fight. Or a puppet master, gleefully pulling strings and making her creations dance.

I have to stop this.

Felix follows Beau to the floor, pulling his fist back again, and lays Beau out with another punch. Jena yells for him to stop—sobs, really. Laughter rings out over the shrieks and gasps of the crowd. It’s a nasty, grating sound that’s so familiar I know who it belongs to without turning my head.

This is exactly what she wanted. Fucking chaos.

I throw myself forward, and when Felix pulls his fist back again, I catch him around the elbow and lean back until we both fall backward. The cackling intensifies, but I don’t look at Claire. I scramble off the floor and throw myself in front of a cowering Beau.

I lock eyes with Felix. “Enough.”

Felix climbs to his feet. “Move, Brooke,” he says through his teeth.

Jena inches up beside him. “Felix, let’s talk about this, okay? We weren’t even together. I would never—”

Felix ignores her completely. “I saidmove.”

Tears stream down Jena’s face and she swipes them away.

I stand my ground and fold my arms as Beau crab walks toward the dining room and scrambles into the kitchen. “I said,enough, Felix. People are watching.”

He glares at me. Anger radiates off him in waves that I feel slither across my skin. “Did you know?”

I glance at his fists, and for a split second, there’s a spike of fear in the pit of my stomach. I shove it down. “Of course I knew. Jena’s my best friend. That doesn’t give you permission to rage up my party.”

He scowls. “Of course you knew. Is there anything Brooke Goodwin doesn’t know? Anything you don’t have your hands in? Jesus fucking Christ.”

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” I say, stepping closer, “but I won’t do it here. We’re celebrating senior year; we’re not rehashing old drama. And let’s be clear,you’rethe one who ended things with Jena. She was free to hook up with whoever she wanted. You don’t get to be mad about that. Now, for the last time: cut it out and walk away.”

I get close enough that I can feel his breath on the side of my face and lower my voice. “Because you and I both know you weren’t exactly celibate while you two were broken up, and it was a lot morethan kissing, wasn’t it? I doubt Jena would be quite as forgiving if she knew. Of course, I won’t have any reason to share the whos and whens if you walk away. Do we understand each other?”

He looks at me like I’ve delivered a blow equal to the one Beau took to the face. But before he can speak, the sliding glass door opens. Dylan glides past me and puts himself between us.

“Take a walk, Felix. I’ll come with you.”

With Dylan as an added barrier, Felix finally deflates. He throws up his hands and backs away. “Fine. Whatever. You get your way, Brooke. As always.”

I feel Claire’s weighty stare on me, but it’s not only her. Everyone is looking at us. I’m careful with my response. “Games like this always bring out unnecessary drama; it’s okay. Get some air. You’re more than welcome to come back once you calm down and remember where you are.”

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