Rachel: People who call me are never satisfied with the answers I give them.

Chris: I wonder why?

Rachel: You know why… Don't play dumb with me.

Chris: I’m not.

Rachel: Chris, don't even do this today. We had a plan to talk to him.

Chris: I know that. Doesn't change a thing.

Rachel: You are so damn difficult for no reason. I give up. Stop telling me things that have nothing to do with me.

I slammed my phone on the table. “Dammit, Chris!” I shouted at the empty room. “You know this, you idiot.” My mind was reeling. He knew exactly what I was about to do.

I headed downstairs to clear my head. “Callie!” I called out. “Come get some food.” My German Shepherd charged down the stairs, her tongue hanging out like a cartoon. “Aren't you a good girl?” I cooed, reaching down to cup her face.

Rachel: Can you pick me up? Please. He’s here and he’s mad. I can’t deal with this today.

Chris: I can't. Feeling sorry for my mother.

Rachel: She’s still sick?

Chris: …yea. Sorry.

Rachel: Dammit Chris, he might actually kill me today.

Chris: …srry.

I shoved the phone into my pocket and gritted my teeth. “I’m in the kitchen,” I called out, my voice strained. Be strong. Be strong.

“You ,” Trey pointed at me, tone accusatory, storming into the room. “I sent thirty texts. You never responded. You .” He lunged, grabbing my arms and pinning me against the wall so hard the breath left my lungs. “I was worried,” he whispered, his eyes dark.

Tears blurred my vision. "Let go, please," I whimpered.

"What have you been doing?" His gaze searched my face, looking for a reason to snap.

DING.

My stomach dropped. Not now, Chris. Please.

Trey’s eyes narrowed. His grip tightened until I felt my bones groan. “Who is that? Give me the phone.”

“Trey, no, it’s just Kayla,” I lied, the words tumbling out. “We’re working on a project for Mr. Luther’s class, remember?”

“Prove it.”

With shaking hands, I pulled out the phone. My thumb hovered over the screen. If it was Chris, I was dead. I punched in the passcode. Trey snatched it, scrolled for a second, and his face contorted.

“You’re a goddamn liar.”

The blow caught me across the face. I hit the floor hard, my head bouncing off the table leg. My vision went gray, and the warm metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

“Clean up this mess by the time I get back,” Trey growled, heading for the door. “I’ll deal with Chris.” He tossed the phone onto the floor, the glass shattering near my face.

I lay on the floor, sobbing into the linoleum. Leave NOW, a tiny voice screamed in my head.

I can’t, I whispered back. I can’t.

Yes, you can. You just don’t want to. And that’s going to be a problem, Rachel.

Callie whined, licking my hand. I pulled myself up, leaning against the cabinets. “It’s okay, baby,” I told her, more for myself. “I have a plan. I have a plan.”

I stared at the cracked phone on the blood stained floor. Tears blurred my vision. Callie, I can’t leave her, Chris is dead now… My mind split in two. I picked up the phone and scrolled through my contacts.

Laura.