Page 63 of Locke 2

“Must be the stars in her eyes when she gazed at Locke.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m going back for her.”

“No, you’re not. Stop finding an excuse to go down there.”

“Easy for you to say because you know everything,” I snapped, spinning around to look at him. “I’m over here collecting crumbs.”

“Just ask Locke and he’ll tell you what you need to know.”

“You assume he’s so forthcoming with me.”

Jem’s face tightened. A dark look passed over him. “After what you put him through, I think he would do anything to appease you.”

I took a step toward him. “You keep saying that. What I put him through. Like I’m somehow the bad guy—”

“You knew you broke through to him,” Jem cut in, sharply, his loathing pouring out of his eyes as he looked down at me. “Noone’s ever done that. You did something to him, and I’d hoped it wasn’t one-sided, but then you broke the rules and hid from him.” He took a step closer, too, until he was hovering over me, looking threatening. “I won’t let you use him again.”

It was the worst time for Aurora to skip around him, breaking the stare-off with her chirpy little voice. “He has a point, and you know it, Kali.”

I let out an exasperated huff as she skipped a large circle around us, my gaze cutting to hers now. “I know, alright? Whose side are you on?”

Jem spun around, his gaze searching the now empty space around him. His brows pulled together as he studied me. “Who are you talking to?”

I turned around and marched to my bag. I didn’t even bother to lie as I threw over my shoulder, “My sister.”

“Your sister?” he repeated.

I crouched, unzipping my bag. “Her name’s Aurora. She’s six years old. She died in a blue princess dress, so she’s always wearing it when she decides to come around to deliver the hard truth.”

Instead of poking around my crazy, he asked, “What hard truth?”

I looked up at him. “That you’re right. About all of it. I ran from Locke, and I hid, because I’m terrified of him. Not because he’s a scary murderer, which is definitely the sensible thing to be afraid of, but I’m sort of fucked up, too, so that part doesn’t really bother me.” I paused, choosing my words carefully. “I’m scared he might mean more to me than I want to admitbecause…he got through to me, too.” My eyes locked onto his, my tone firm and unwavering, “I’m not using him, Jem, so stop saying that I am. You’ve got me all wrong, and while I can live with your opinion of me, keep it to yourself. At least around me.”

For once, Jem didn’t rebut smarmily.

In fact, Jem Wright didn’t say anything at all.

Aurora appeared at my side, sipping her empty teacup. “When you tell people I exist, they stop bothering you. Isn’t it great, Kali?”

The corner of my mouth lifted. I wanted to reach out and touch her, but I looked back down into my bag and prayed she’d go away so she didn’t see the water gathering in my eyes.

The House

He tore through the bedroom.

Monster…

Monster…

Possessed, he tore our world apart. Smashing picture frames and tearing up papers with our names on them.

His feet stopped in front of me. I didn’t make a sound from under the bed. I didn’t even breathe. I stared at his white sneakers, frayed and stained.

I stared until the tears fell from my eyes, dripping on the floor.

Drip, drip.

Drip, drip.

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