Page 36 (1/2)

"Aria, just stay still!" Noel pleaded "Just listen to me!"

Aria wrenched around to look him in the eye A memory suddenly flooded her mind: a ti, "Steahed until there were tears in their eyes But he’d loved Ali the whole ti classes, dutifully etables, he’d loved Ali, too When they first had sex, which had been so tender and sweet and iine it now The whole time, Ali, Ali, Ali

He’d helped almost kill theasped for a breath "Where is that bitch?" she bellowed "Tell me where she is so I can kill her!"

"I don’t knohat you’re talking about," Noel said

"You do, and you know it!" Aria shrieked, flailing her ars "Just admit you love her! Just admit you knohere she is!"

Noel let up for just aon his elbows His head twisted away, shrouded in darkness "I loved her"

Aria scrambled out from under him and stared into his eyes "And is she alive?"

Noel looked pained "Aria"

"Is she alive?"

A brisk windCars honked on the streets Far up in the sky, a jet’s headlight blinked Noel turned away "I don’t know," he said quietly in a tone that indicated otherwise

It was as good as an admission Fury flooded Aria’s veins She leapt to her feet and headed for the gate, sturavestones, the he hands wrapped around her waist, and she fell again, then felt the crush of Noel’s body on top of her Noel breathed hotly into her ear

Aria screaet out fro so crazy so I can explain everything," he begged

"I hate you," Aria wheezed, Noel’s weight crushing her lungs "I will never, ever listen to you again"

"Da Aria steady beneath hierous Aria swiped at hile A desperate wail escaped froht loved her was going to be her murderer

Whack

Noel screaered to her feet and scurried behind a gravestone, unsure of what had just happened As she gulped in breaths, several figures swam into view Spencer stood next to Noel, the prom scepter raised over her head Emily and Hanna loomed behind her, their eyes wide

Eht "Are you okay?"

Aria tried to nod, but her gaze was still on Noel Spencer raised the scepter to hit hiain, but he jumped to his feet and moved away "Don’t you dare run!" she warned

"What the hell?" Noel’s voice cracked "You people are insane!"

He wove through the gravestones toward the entrance Spencer tried to chase hi too fast She stopped a few paces past a row of gravestones and blinked in the darkness Noel was gone

Then Spencer ran to Aria "Ohin horror at Aria’s cheek It et--Aria hadn’t even realized When she pulled her hand away, she saw blood Tears flooded down her face "I’s I knew about Noel, things I didn’t tell you I should have And now it’s too late"

Hanna hugged Aria tight "Don’t say that It’s okay"

"I just didn’t want it to be him!" Aria sobbed "I wanted it to be anyone but hih Aria’s hair "We wanted it to be anyone but him, too"

"But at least you’re safe now," Emily whispered "At least he didn’t hurt you for real"

Aria sniffed and nodded, then looked into the dark distance where Noel had disappeared She wasn’t sure if what Emily said was quite true Noel had hurt her for real

He had broken her heart into a thousand pieces

31

Forgiveness Has a Price

Spencer walked in the woods behind her house Dusk had fallen, and prickly branches and split logs littered the forest floor A stream rushed in the distance, and birds called frorew darker than it had been even a few seconds before So sound, then the crunch of footsteps

A figure e back the stray branches It was a blond girl with a heart-shaped face and glittering blue eyes--Ali

Spencer gasped Ali’s face was blistered with burns She walked with a li lifelessly by her side She sht find you here"

"Stay away," Spencer warned, shielding her face and taking a big step backward