Page 56 of Shattered

“Lila, shut your mouth.”

“No. You shut yours. You had no fucking right to go behind my back and confront all our friends about my business that I told you to STAY OUT OF.”

My accusation makes him pause as if he wasn’t expecting it, which gives me some satisfaction.

“Who told you about that?”

“I saw it. And I’m not telling you who showed me. You had no fucking right,” I repeat.

“Lila, do you not get it? I’m scared for you.”

“You don’t have anything to be scared about.”

“Yeah, then what’s this?” he asks, roughly grabbing my arm and yanking up my sleeve to see a nasty bruise forming.

“You don’t know what a bruise is?”

“I’ve never seen this much on you. Whatever the hell is going on-”

“Is none of your business!” I snap. “Jesus christ, Turner, I’m so sick and tired of you trying to make everyone else’s decisions for them. You’re not God! Stay the hell out of my life.”

“You don’t get it,” he says tiredly.

“No, I do,” I say simply, rising to my feet. “I hate you.”

Turner recoils, visibly wounded. I feel a pang of regret, though I shove it deep down.

“I’ll stay for an hour, then I’m gone. Don’t worry; you will never see me in this house again.”

Before he can rebuttal, I turn on my heels, storming out.

The party is outside in the courtyard. Juliet, Edgar, and Nash are swimming. Marina is under an umbrella at one of the tables in her dad’s lap. Neela and Ty are socializing with Allegra and Ian, and Macy and Gareth sit across from them in their own little world.

I sit at Marina’s table beside Neela, and she happily knocks me in the shoulder.

“You came.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

Turner enters the courtyard from the kitchen, and I feel his eyes burning into me, but I ignore him.

The party goes by casually. Everyone is in and out of the pool while Neela and Ty help Marina open her presents. She gets a toddler car from Gareth and a toy piano from Macy, which is fitting for them. Nash and Edgar got her the largest stuffed animal they could find. Allegra and Ian got her a children’s clay set, which Neela is the most excited about. She grins when she opens mine, a set of colorful and fun children’s books.

“Thanks, Lila,” Ty says.

“You’re welcome. I hope she likes it.”

As the night goes on, I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, which puts me on edge. Eventually, I head inside to grab a drink from the fridge, and when I turn around, I find Macy and Juliet walking in, their eyes fixed on me.

“What?” I snap.

Juliet huffs. “Hi to you, too.”

I frown, feeling guilty. “Sorry, hi.”

“How are you?” Macy asks, and I bristle.

“Ask me what you really want to ask me. I know everyone’s been talking about me behind my back.”

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