Okay, talk about twisted logic.
“So you really did it?” I can’t hide the hurt in my tone. “You hooked up with Knox before we were broken up?”
She stares at me like I’m pitiful. “Ash, I hate to break this to you, but Knox has been messing around with other girls pretty much since you guys started going out.” She erupts in laughter. “Okay, that’s a total lie. Well, not the part about him cheating on you, just the part about me hating to break the news to you. God, I’m so glad I did. The look on your face is priceless.” She turns for the door, still laughing.
My ears ring and my vision spots as anger and hurt roars through me. “Why are you doing this? I was your best friend, and then you just tossed me aside when some stranger told you I kissed a guy you liked. And don’t try to feed me some shit about that photo proving I did it. I know you photoshopped that damn thing, and you did a really shitty job of it, too.”
She spins around, her humor gone. “You want to know why I’m doing this? Because I hate you. Just like everyone important does.” She reaches for the door handle. “You and I were never friends, Ash. Did I mind hanging out with you? No, not always. At least, not when you weren’t acting like a total pathetic loser.
“It’s not like I needed you in my life. You were just there because I didn’t care enough to kick you out. I wish I would’ve—No, I wish I never had been stupid enough to let you in, in the first place. But I did, and now I can’t do anything except regret my decision. And I hate regret. The only thing that’ll make me feel better is to make you regret, too, which I haven’t felt like I’ve done yet. At all. Not until I get ahold of your heart and rip it to shreds. Just like you did mine.”
She draws open the door then pauses. “And FYI, the person who told me you kissed Zane isn’t a stranger. They’re close to me, and they’re completely trustworthy, unlike you.” She strides out of the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her.
I hunch over, bracing my hands on my knees as I suck in a huge breath of air. Her words … they hurt, more than I wish they did. Knox cheating on me all this time … Her never being my friend … Did she really mean all of it? Was all of this—the last six years—just a game to her? Was mine and Knox’s relationship a joke? Was every relationship I’ve ever had with anyone outside of my family a joke?
I don’t know, which is sad. Really, really depressingly sad. Regardless, I can’t just stand in the bathroom and wallow over the past, no matter how much I want to.
Heaving a weight-of-the-world-on-my-shoulders sigh, I sling my bag over my shoulder and step into the hallway packed with people gossiping about me. Despite the crappiness happening, one positive thing has come out of being held against my will in the bathroom by Queeny. She let it slip that she is close to the person who said I kissed Zane, which means I probably was at one time, too.
I push my way down the hallway, feeling more determined to find out who this mystery friendship wrecker is. Not to get my friendship with Queeny back, but to clear my name. That’s all I want anymore—a fresh start, one where I can be a better person and not have to walk up the hallway feeling like I’m wearing a bright red letter A.
Yes, that’s all I want. To live a nice, quiet, invisible life.
But right as the peaceful thought crosses my mind, a hand slaps down over my mouth.
I start to scream, but I’m jerked back into an alcove and thrown into a pitch-black space that reeks of lemon cleaner.
The janitor closet?
I get pushed down onto the floor, landing hard on my back. I work to get my feet underneath my, but a foot stomps down on my chest.
“Stay down if you know what’s good for you.” An exaggeratedly deep voice warns.
They’re disguising their voice. Great.
I grab their leg to throw them off me, but they push down their weight while snatching my phone out of my pocket.
“This is so ridiculous,” I seethe. “All of this because Queeny thinks I kissed her crush.”
“Oh, there’s way more to it than that, Ashlynn,” the person replies through a dark laugh. “Way, way more. And there’s so much more to come. So much secrets to reveal.”
I open my mouth to demand they tell me what they mean, but they hurry out of the room, shutting the door behind them.”
Panicking, I scramble to my feet, stumble to the door, and twist the doorknob. But the thing won’t budge. Then I remember that the janitor’s closet locks from the outside.
Crap!
I bang on the door.
I scream!
But like I wished for earlier, no one hears me—I’ve become invisible.
I fumble around for the light switch, finally finding it. I start to let out a sigh when light illuminates through the room and I spot a message written on the wall in paint.
Unless you want stuff to happen like this again, stay away from Maxon and his friends. And if you tell anyone about this, we’ll making your life a living hell.
--From, Your worst enemy
I’d think the message was from Queeny, but it doesn’t look like her writing.
A chill trickles down my spine. Who did this to me? One of Queeny’s minions? Probably.
Whoever it is, there’s no way in hell I’m going to let someone peer pressure me into not being friends with Maxon and Clove. They’re all I have right now, even if I don’t deserve their friendship.
Sighing, I sink down to the floor and wait. And wait. And wait.
I wait for what feels like forever.
It feels like someone is playing a game with me. And without knowing who all the players are, I’m going to lose.
I need to find out who did this before I end up in a situation much worse than being locked in a janitor’s closet.
About the Author
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
Other books by Jessica Sorensen:
Unraveling You Series:
Unraveling You
Raveling You
Awakening You
Inspiring You
* * *
Mystic Willow Bay, Witches Series:
The Secret Life of a Witch
The Secret Life of a Witch 2
* * *
Shadow Cove Series:
What Lies in the Darkness
A Deadly Little Game (coming soon)
* * *
Standalones:
The Forgotten Girl
* * *
Rebels & Misfits:
Confessions of a Kleptomaniac
Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl
* * *
The Heartbreaker Society:
The Mysteriously Complicated Life of Ashlynn: Volume 1
The Mysteriously Complicated Life of Ashlynn: Volume 2
The Mysteriously Complicated Life of Ashlynn: Volume 3
Untitled (coming soon)
* * *
Broken City Series:
Nameless
Forsaken
Oblivion
* * *
Guardian Academy Series:
Entranced
Entangled
Enchanted (coming soon)
* * *
Sunnyvale Series:
The Year I Became Isabella Anders
The Year of Falling in Love
The Year of Second Chances
* * *
The Coincidence Series:
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden
The Redemption of Callie and Kayden
The Destiny of Violet and Luke
The Probability of Violet and Luke
The Certainty of Violet and Luke
The Resolution of Callie and Kayden
Seth & Greyson
* * *
The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always
* * *
The Shattered Promises Series:
Shattered Promises
Fractured Souls
Unbroken
Broken Visions
Scattered Ashes
* * *
Breaking Nova Series:
Breaking Nova
Saving Quinton
Delilah: The Making of Red
Nova and Quinton: No Regrets
Tristan: Finding Hope
Wreck Me
Ruin Me
* * *
The Fallen Star Series:
The Fallen Star
The Underworld
The Vision
The Promise
* * *
The Fallen Souls Series (spin-off from The Fallen Star):
The Lost Soul
The Evanescence
* * *
The Darkness Falls Series:
Darkness Falls
Darkness Breaks
Darkness Fades
* * *
The Death Collectors Series (NA and YA):
Ember X and Ember
Cinder X and Cinder
Spark X and Spark
* * *
Unbeautiful Series:
Unbeautiful
Untamed
The Mysteriously Complicated Life of Ashlynn Page 14
