Page 32 of Knot Their Starlet

The door clicks softly shut behind him.

I feel the sob building in my chest the moment I move towards the door to click the deadbolt shut.

When I’m officially “safe,” I collapse onto the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. Will I ever feel safe again? Not just physically. But emotionally.

Probably not.

There’re probably going to be plenty of headlines about how my fucking bloodline is cursed because of my mom’s unbonding. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I am cursed.

My head throbs, the stitches in my scalp aching with each heaving sob.

I’m alone now. Truly fucking alone.

Because even after everything that happened to me, the only person who was there for me after I got discharged was Ezra. And he’s not safe anymore.

CHAPTER 8

Beckham

Read: 7:18PM

My phone screen taunts me. It’s been three hours since I sent Andi the text messages letting her know I was in. Three hours since she left me on read.

“It’s movie night, no phones,” Eli mutters, plucking my phone from my grasp.

“Hey! Give that back!” I scramble towards him, but he easily keeps my phone away from me, raising his hand in the air.

“Pause the movie, Leo?” Eli grunts.

“Sure,” Leo answers, pausing the movie.

“What happened in the last ten minutes?” Eli’s brow is raised expectantly as he waits for my answer.

I have no fucking clue.

I haven’t been paying any attention to the movie on screen. My mind has been elsewhere.

For valid reasons, in my opinion.

“I don’t know, okay?” I mutter. “Still, give me my phone back!”

“You were the one to make the no phones during movie night rule,” Eli says, a line forming between his brows.

“Tonight’s not a normal movie night, okay? I’m sorry.” I push myself up to my feet, standing on the couch cushion to grab my phone from Eli. He doesn’t fight.

Good.

I would’ve lost if it came down to anything physical.

“I’ll take myself and my phone and leave you two to the movie,” I mumble, shoving my phone into the pocket of my gray sweats and heading to my room.

The blue text bubbles on my phone taunt me as I stare down at them and I swear I wear a hole in my carpet waiting for her to respond.

Have I ever been this torn up about someone before?

No, definitely not.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this torn up about anything. Not even music.