it was because Austin was dealing with her own demons—the GWS.
“Why would you be worried about me?”
She runs a hand through her dark hair. “I don’t know what kind of game Deke is playing with you, but I’ve been a part of a game before, and it would have been nice to have someone on my side.”
I look down at my hands sitting on my lap, unable to meet her eyes. I already know what she went through. And I hate that my sister wasn’t there to help her. She was too wrapped up in Deke to see what was really going on. Or maybe she did and just didn’t care.
“I’m nothing like her,” I find myself saying.
“I didn’t say you were.”
My eyes meet hers, and she gives me a soft smile. I highly doubt she knows what Becky is really like. No one does. No one among the living anyway.
“I’m not here to judge you, Demi. I only came here in case you needed to talk to someone.”
I snort. “And to go tell my sister.”
“No.” She shakes her head quickly. “I want to be your friend. And to me that means something. I would never betray your trust.”
I fist my hands. “Then you’re here for Deke.”
“No, Demi—”
“I don’t believe you, Austin,” I shout, interrupting her.
Silence follows my outburst, and she nods her head once before standing. She turns to leave, and I look down at my backpack next to my bed. It’s open, and the top of her journal peeks out.
“Wait,” I call out.
She comes to a stop and turns to face me. I reach down, pick it up, and walk over to her. “I told you I’m nothing like her, and I mean that.” I hold out her journal. “This belongs to you. You should be the one to have it.”
Her green eyes widen when she looks down at it. Slowly, she takes it from my hand like it’s a grenade that can blow up any minute. “Where did you get this?” she asks clearing her throat.
“I found it.”
Her eyes snap up to mine. “What do you mean you found it?”
“I went looking in Becky’s closet for something to use against her, and it was in a box she brought with her from Collins.”
Her eyes drop back down to it, and she grips it tightly.
“I read it,” I admit.
When she just stares at it with terror in her eyes, I feel bad for giving it to her. I should have just thrown it away. I’m sure she wants to forget many events in there. Cole may have fallen in love with her in the end, but there’s more than just him and the sharks in there. There’s a lot of Phillip—her mom’s boyfriend. He touched her. Hit her. And I have no doubt he would have done much harsher things if she hadn’t moved to her dad’s when she did.
I’m not going to apologize for reading it ’cause I’m glad I did. It taught me a lot about Austin and helped me understand her more. Not only is the girl beautiful, but she’s fierce. No wonder Cole fell for her. What guy wouldn’t? I believe her when she says friendship means something to her. And that she is loyal, but I’m just not sure she considers me a friend.
“I …”
The opening of my bedroom door cuts her off. She spins around to face it, and I look up to see my sister barge into my room. “You fucking bitch—”
“What the fuck were you doing with this?” Austin interrupts her. And the look on my sister’s face tells me all I need to know.
She’s fucked!
CHAPTER NINETEEN
BECKY
I STAND IN Demi’s room. My plan was to come in here and beat the shit out of her, but that is clearly not going to happen for two reasons.
One because I’ll have a witness, and two because my best friend looks like she will be the one beating some ass.
I swallow nervously, looking at her journal in her hand. How did she find that? “Where did that come from?”
“Why did you fucking have this?” Austin demands, taking a step toward me.
I take a step back out of the bedroom. Austin and I have never had a falling out; she’s always been nice to me, but I’ve read her journal. And you don’t wanna be on her bad side. “You asked me to take it.”
“No. I told you to fucking burn it!”
Five months ago
I walk over to her hospital bed and sit down. We