Chapter 4

I was still on the bathroom floor when the door opened. It wasn' t Carter. It was Sofia.

The fake tears were gone. Her face was a mask of cold triumph.

"You' re tougher than you look," she said, leaning against the doorframe.

She walked over and crouched down in front of me. She grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head back.

"Listen to me," she hissed, her voice low and vicious. "He' s mine. He was always supposed to be mine. You were just a temporary distraction. Your time is up. Get out."

She let go of my hair, pushing my head back against the wall.

I just stared at her, my throat still raw.

She stood up and walked out of the bathroom. A moment later, I heard a clatter from the living room, followed by the horrible, grinding sound of the garbage disposal.

I scrambled to my feet and ran out.

Sofia was standing by the sink, a malicious smirk on her face. Carter was rushing over.

"What was that noise?" he asked.

"Oh, it was an accident," Sofia said, her voice full of fake distress. "I was clearing the counter, and I think I knocked something into the sink. I didn' t see it when I turned the disposal on."

My eyes darted to the counter. My silver locket was gone.

It was the only thing I had left from my grandmother. It wasn' t expensive, but it was my most precious possession.

"My locket," I whispered. My voice was hoarse. "My grandmother' s locket."

I lunged for Sofia. I didn' t even think. I just reacted.

"You did that on purpose!"

Carter grabbed me before I could reach her. He spun me around, his fingers digging into my arms.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Amy? You' re acting completely unhinged! Are you trying to hurt her?"

He shoved me away from Sofia, putting himself between us. He was protecting her.

"She destroyed it," I sobbed, the tears finally coming. "Carter, please. It was from my grandmother."

For a second, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Guilt? Hesitation? He almost reached for me.

Then Sofia let out a small cry. "My wrist," she whimpered, cradling her arm. "I think you sprained it when you pushed me, Amy."

Carter' s face went from conflicted to furious in an instant. All his attention snapped back to her.

"Are you okay, Sof? Let me see."

He turned back to me, his eyes blazing with rage.

"You' ve gone too far. You' re violent and you' re crazy. I want you out of this apartment. Now."

He pointed to the door.

"Get out. And don' t come back until you' re ready to apologize to Sofia and learn how to get along with her."

I stared at him, my heart shattering into a million pieces. I had been ready to leave. I had been planning it. But hearing him say it, casting me out of my own home for her, was a pain I wasn't prepared for. It broke me.