He shrugs. “Surprised is all.”
“And what shall I do about that?” I ask, arching a brow.
He chuckles. “Whatever the fuck you want.”
DEMI
I lie on my bed doing homework and listening to music. “Nightmare” by Halsey plays softly in my room. My phone vibrates, and I ignore it. That’s what I’ve done all day. Deke and Becky could have messaged me a hundred times, and I wouldn’t know.
A knock comes on my door. “Go away,” I call out. If it was my sister, she’d just charge right in, so it’s either my mother or Isabella, and I don’t want to speak to either of them.
The door opens, and I sit up when I see it’s Austin.
This can’t be good.
“Hope you don’t mind. Your housekeeper said you were up here. May I come in?” she asks, standing in the doorway.
I wasn’t able to get rid of Isabella for long. After my sister found out what I had done, she called our mother and told her that I trashed the house over the weekend. So my mother called Isabella and told her to get back to our house and clean it. Thankfully, Isabella didn’t rat me out and tell my mother that I paid her to stay away. She kept the cash I gave her and her mouth shut.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Depends. Are you here on behalf of Becky or Deke?” Neither one matters.
She sighs heavily. “I’m here for you, Demi.”
“I’m not sure what that means.”
Without asking again or waiting for permission, she enters my room and closes the door behind her. She sits down on the edge of my bed and tilts her head while she looks me over. She frowns when her eyes run over the faint marks left by Deke. They’re fading, but I don’t wear much makeup, so you can still very much make them out.
“I’m not in the mood for a lecture,” I tell her. I’m not sure which one told her what I did with Deke, but it doesn’t matter. It’s done.
“I’m just worried—”
I laugh, cutting off her words. “About Becky? She’s a big girl. She can handle herself. Trust me.”
“No.” She reaches out and pats my leg gently. “About you.”
Austin has always been nice to me. I didn’t get to see her much back in Collins. She didn’t come around my father’s house very often, but when she was there, she would go out of her way to say hello to me or ask how my day was going, but she never invited me out with them. At the time, I thought it was because Becky filled her head full of lies and made her hate me. Now I know it was because Austin was dealing with her own demons—the GWS.
“Why would you be worried about me?”
She runs a hand through her dark hair. “I don’t know what kind of game Deke is playing with you, but I’ve been a part of a game before, and it would have been nice to have someone on my side.”
I look down at my hands sitting on my lap, unable to meet her eyes. I already know what she went through. And I hate that my sister wasn’t there to help her. She was too wrapped up in Deke to see what was really going on. Or maybe she did and just didn’t care.
“I’m nothing like her,” I find myself saying.
“I didn’t say you were.”
My eyes meet hers, and she gives me a soft smile. I highly doubt she knows what Becky is really like. No one does. No one among the living anyway.
“I’m not here to judge you, Demi. I only came here in case you needed to talk to someone.”
I snort. “And to go tell my sister.”
“No.” She shakes her head quickly. “I want to be your friend. And to me that means something. I would never betray your trust.”
I fist my hands. “Then you’re here for Deke.”
“No, Demi—”
“I don’t believe you, Austin,” I shout, interrupting her.
Silence follows my outburst, and she nods her head once before standing. She turns to leave, and I look down at my backpack next to my bed. It’s open, and the top of her journal peeks out.
“Wait,” I call out.
She comes to a stop and turns to face me. I reach down, pick it up, and walk over to her. “I told you I’m nothing like her, and I mean that.” I hold out her journal. “This belongs to you. You should be the one to have it.”
Her green eyes widen when she looks down at it. Slowly, she takes it from my hand like it’s a grenade that can blow up any minute. “Where did you get this?” she asks clearing her throat.
“I found it.”
Her eyes snap up to mine. “What do you mean you found it?”