Page 24 of Heart of the Sun

Emily looked back and forth between me and Charlie and for a moment, I held my breath, daring to believe that she’d see in her heart that, above all else, I’d never put her in a position like this. No matter who was suggesting I had. “Please, Em, you know me.”

She looked down, shook her head. She seemed so torn, and it hurt me. It hurt me to my core. “You’re different, Tuck. You’re not that kid anymore.” She pointed to the baggies. “Clearly.”

The simmering frustration boiled over. It mixed with anger and pain. Because part of me knew she was right. Iwasn’tthat kid anymore. I didn’t need the reminder. I’d done a lot of bad things, highly regrettable choices I’d be paying for, for the rest of my life. But I’d never dealt drugs. And more important than that, I would never put Emily in a position that might jeopardize her safety in any way. And I’d never lie and let someone else take the blame for my actions.

For a few minutes there at her apartment, I’d thought we connected. I’d thought she looked at me the way she had once because she remembered our friendship. She rememberedme.The important parts. But I was wrong. It didn’t matter. In the end, it didn’t matter at all.

“You’ve given me no choice but to fire you,” Emily said, pulling herself straight. “I can’t have a drug dealer on my security team. When we land, I’ll arrange a flight back to LA for you and a driver will take you to the hotel where you’ll gather your things.”

My gaze landed on Charlie once more, and I saw the minute twitch of his lips. He was really going to stand by as I paid the price for this. A part of him wasenjoyingit. If I tried to fight it, to plead my case, it would be my word against his. I didn’t stand a chance against Hollywood’s golden boy. It wouldn’t only get back to my probation officer, it’d be all over the tabloids. I’d be connected to this forever. If I thought I’d been ruined before…

Charlie wrapped his arm around Emily’s shoulders and pulled her to him. A united front. A red haze filled my vision.

“You wanna know whoyouare?” I said to Charlie. “A lying phony with zero honor. And you,” I said, my gaze moving to Emily. “You’re nothing but a caricature of what you used to be. A cheap knockoff.”

Her face blanched, and she gasped, a sound that sent satisfaction shooting through my veins, bolstering me. “There’s not one thing about you that’s true or authentic. No wonder that piece of shit likes you so much. You deserve each other.”

“How dare—”

“How dare I? I’ve been wanting to say this since the moment I walked into your apartment and saw you. You’re a sellout. They could have picked up any pretty girl off the street and createdNova.Your producers didn’t need talent. They needed compliance. And you bought into it, hook, line and sinker. And you’ll think about what I’m saying long after I’m gone, because deep inside, you know it’s true.”

“That’s enough,” Charlie said. “Don’t say another word to her.”

My gaze hung on Emily, whose face was set in frozen shock. “Happily,” I gritted. And with that, I turned, sliding into the farthest seat from them and turning toward the window. I was vibrating with rage and injustice, and I sat in stony silence, the anger festering as they retook their seats, whispering to each other from the other side of the plane. Under any other circumstances, I would have gotten up and left. Too bad doing that would mean plunging to my death thirty thousand feet below.

It almost seemed like the better option.

As if in response to my thought, the plane jolted, causing two of the bags overhead to tumble out of the open compartment.

Emily let out a little squeak, and alarmed, I stood and shut the compartment. Emily had obviously tossed the drugs back in the bag or somewhere else while I’d been turned away, because they were no longer on the floor. The curtain to the cockpit remained closed. I assumed the pilot, Russell, had a headset on, which was a good thing for him, as he hadn’t had to endure the tense exchange between the three of us.

I sat back down in my seat and strapped my belt on. Just some turbulence.

“My Wi-Fi isn’t working,” I heard Emily mutter to Charlie.

“That happens,” Charlie said. “Give it a few minutes.”

Emily sighed and I turned more fully to the window just as the nose of the plane dipped, foisting me suddenly forward.

Holy shit. What the hell is happening?

chapterthirteen

Emily

Now

I screamed, terror a hot buzz beneath my skin as the plane tilted and the ground rose up. I clawed at my armrests, hanging on tight as there was another jolt and another tilt.Pleasepleaseplease. I had no idea who I was begging, but it was the only word that raced through my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut, but not before I caught sight of a large fire burning in the distance out the window, and several smaller fires spread out all around it.

The earth is on fire. Why is the earth on fire?

My stomach lurched as the plane bucked and then began to nose-dive. My squeal mixed with Charlie’s yelp—a horror-filled duet. We were both pitched forward, jerking in tandem against our lap belts. “Holyfuck!” Charlie yelled.

Brace for impact. Brace for impact.The words Tuck had relayed from the pilot pounded in my skull.

I turned my head to see Tuck gripping his armrests too, his gaze focused straight-ahead, jaw clenched tightly, brows bunched severely. I remembered that expression. It flashed in my mind, blooming large, the clock turning back.

I jerked forward again, the memory melting as though the flames from below had reached up and licked into my reeling mind, the lightning flashing in the sky, scorching my frayed and fearful nerves.

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