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Chapter 12

Jill

When I’ht to my room and lock the door I don’t come down—not for dinner, or breakfast, or

I’m scared

Scared of what ht happen if I do

Because that warning didn’t come without a cost

So declared dead

Me

I shiver as I hear my parents’ footsteps stoht for my room

I jump away from the door and huddle on ainst the door I was never this scared before But I guess soes a person

Especially when that traue

“Jill? Open the door,” my mother says

I don’t respond I don’t knohat to say, and I’

“Jill, open this door This is your last warning,” my father says with that stern voice of his that makes my skin crawl

“No,” I reply

“Jill!” asps

“Enough,”into the lock and unlocks it from the outside They burst inside, furious “You don’t think I keep spare keys to all the doors in my own damn house?”

I say the lump in my throat “I’m sorry Please”

My father slams the door shut and then looks at me “We need to talk”

Oh, God

Here it is

The talk

The one I’ve been trying to avoid Because I’ve heard them whisper in the hallways about my punishment But I don’t deserve any of this I didn’t kill Liam on purpose

“Please, you don’t have to do this,” I say, shaking my head

“Jill …”to have to marry Luca”

“No, he’s ahis brother”