Page 14 of Butterfly

“What are you talking about, butterfly?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not enough to humiliate me—you have to destroy my life, too.”

He whipped me around to face him, fisting my hair in his hand—just like he’d done that night in the pool house.

“Don’t be so sure of that.”

“What, you deny what just happened?”

He didn’t respond.

“I think it’s interesting that you’re trying to deny having any part in it, when it wasyourgirlfriend andyourbest friend who did the honors. Or are you saying you didn’t know they were going to strip me?”

He stared at me, jaw working, and a secret, pathetic part of me lifted in hope that he’d say no, that he’d apologize, that he’d wreak vengeance onthemfor once instead ofme.

But he destroyed that when he jerked his head up and down.

“God,” I whispered, “Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?”

“You ruined me,” he said. “Irrevocably.”

I assumed he meant I’d ruined his life, just by merely existing.

So I also jerked my head. “It’s mutual.”

“I doubt it.”

What the hell did that mean?

“Anyway, you can’t go anywhere. Where are you going to go? Last I checked, you didn’t have a job; you and your mom live off my dad’s money.”

I glared at him as I texted Bea.

Can I please come stay with you for the rest of the summer?

I know I’ll have to sleep on the couch, but I’m desperate

The stepdemon still causing you trouble?

you know it

yeah, you can come stay here

but what will your mom say?

I’ll think of something

“Watch me,” I told Mason.

“Oh, butterfly,” he murmured, shifting his hand to stroke my cheek and forcing me to shiver from the sensation of his hands once again on my bare skin. “I’m always watching you.”

And that’s what he did—watched me, as I stormed up the stairs, packed my bags, left a resolute voicemail on my mom’s phone—they were in the city for a show and she probably wouldn’t get the message until later—loaded up my car, and drove off.

I didn’t even see Mason on my way out. If I had my way, I’d never see him again, except for the requisite family holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and, I assumed, his wedding one day where I’d be required to see him marry some poor woman who deserved better than him.

But otherwise, freedom stretched ahead of me. Freedom from his torment.

Turned out I was wrong.

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