Chapter 44

• Leila
• I'd barely stepped off the curb, backpack strap digging into my shoulder, when he materialized. One hand fisted my elbow, yanking me sideways before I could scream. The door creaked open, and I stumbled into the leather seat, my shoes scuffing the floor mat. That's when I saw her: Josephine, standing by the school gates, her lips parted. Her gaze flicked from me to Lucas, then back, something like betrayal curdling in her eyes.
• I should have bolted. Every instinct screamed run—Lucas' presence was a live wire, humming with the same tension that had made me flee our house three weeks ago. But Josephine was still staring. The memory of her laugh, that simper she'd worn when Lucas had draped his arm over her shoulders at last month's gala, flickered in my head. I settled back against the seat, crossing my arms. Let her watch. Let her burn.