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"Just…just give the away and reaching for lance up and his brow is pinched I know he thinks I’ because of him But I’ hate it

"Look, this is aard, and I was ready to confront you about this about an hour ago, but then I ca, and now I’m not really as mad as I was before, maybe just confused Just…just tell , but he lets just enough escape, his words giving ht direction My chest constricts, and breathing…it gets harder "Is this…you?"

When he hands the phone to me, a video displayed on the screen, paused in a close-up of nite and then die all at once Even with the rumors, I still hadn’t seen it for myself I could pretend it wasn’t real then, pretend that it was all just words being passed around, without any visual proof

What Houston is handinght me out of the equation

I pull the phone intoback a few strides until my back hits the wall I need that wall there, to supportmyself to tap once I hear the sounds--like the evil echoes that have been replaying in ht--and I stop it instantly My eyes close

"Paige?" Houston’s voice oozes disappointment I won’t look at hi open, but re focused on my feet, as well as on the phone inhard toet to do that," he says, his indignation growing, stirring ht now feel h once, the sound co out in a punctuated puff of air, louder than I anticipated, and I glance at Leah’s door It’s open, as is Houston’s mom’s We’re alone, whichto be the one wrong here

"Paige!" he says in a loud whisper, his hands flying to his forehead, pushing through his da like this?"

"You think…I’ain

"I don’t knohat to think All I know is those guys the other night; that was about this, wasn’t it? And I…goddaainst theroeak before he finishes that sentence, so I step in and finish it for hiht? Is that what you meant to say?" I push off from the wall,of books into my room, so I can close the door on him as soon as I want to and not have to co, Paige," he sighs, his hand rubbing at his neck I want to punch hi wrong--the s Every li Houston is twice ht now, I’m confidant I would kill hier at hi To think there were tiht of kissing hi an exception and breaking et e th with every word, every sentence "And that video…this video?" I hold the phone up He reaches for it, but I shakethe phone into the back pocket ofthis copy, and you can have the phone back when I’ve erased it"

"It’s not ru I keep it," I say, folding ainst my skin, my heartbeat now in a cadence, a pissed-off, ready-to-slay-someone cadence "This video is out there to hurt ly And the fact that you ever thought I would…ht you were"