Page 80 of Science Project

“What?”

“Your sister’s necklace,” he continued. “You’re not wearing it anymore.”

“Oh,” I whispered. “I accidentally broke it.”

He paused and crouched down in front of me. “Why are you lying?”

I tucked some hair behind my ear, flustered. “I’m not lying.”

“Nicole,” he said softly, taking my hand, “you can tell me anything.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t.”

Pain crossed his face. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

But that was what everyone said before they did. The only person in my life who hadn’t hurt me was Hannah, and she had been gone for more than half a decade now. I had been all alone, and I didn’t know how to be with someone else. I didn’t know how to let them in on all my secrets. I didn’t know how to let them help me.

“One day, I’ll let you in on everything,” I whispered, gripping his hand. “I promise.”

I just hoped that I lived that long.

CHAPTER

FORTY-FOUR

AKIO

After school, I walked into the house at a time when I knew Mom would be home and dumped my backpack on the couch. She chatted with someone in the next room about a guy named Jett Harleen and paused when she heard my footsteps.

“Akio, is that you?” she called.

I blew out a low breath and walked toward the dining room. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Before I stepped into the room, I prepared myself for the worst possible punishment for what Imani had done to her. I had been avoiding Mom, very successfully, since that dinner and hadn’t had a chance to confront her about it. Or vice versa.

But I needed to suck up today. I needed information.

When I entered the room, Rick Santos glared at me from Mom’s side. I ignored him and leaned against the doorframe, my arms crossed over my chest in a way to protect myself from everything she was about to explode on me for.

“Where have you been all week?” she snarled.

“Working at the pharmacy,” I said. “At school. What kids my age do.”

“We need to talk.” She looked over at Rick. “Leave us.”

“What do you want me to do with Harleen?” Rick said to her.

“Clean up the mess.”

After nodding, Rick headed in my direction to leave the house, shoving me hard into the wall on his way out. I balled my hands into fists, wanting to unleash on him the way I had with his brother. I had wanted to kill someone since this morning, when Nicole had told me what had happened.

She had been holding back information, but at least she’d opened up to me.

One day, I would get to the bottom of it. All I had to do was gain her trust, show her that I would do anything for her, and maybe she would trust me enough to tell me everything that was going on, without hiding any secrets.

Once the front door closed, I sidestepped Mom’s lunge at me. Her fist collided with the wall beside me with a thud. Her knuckles split, blood trickling down her fingers. I waited for her to lunge at me again, but she never did.

“How could you do that to Imani’s parents?” I asked.

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