Page 84 of When The Noise Stops

"She called my pussy trash."

I rubbed my hand over my face.

"I was there, Maggie."

"And you didn't say anything."

"What the fuck did you want me to say?"

"Why are you treating me like this?" she whined.

"I thought coming here might give us a chance to talk."

I looked at her.

"We have been talking."

"That's not what I mean."

I knew exactly what she meant.

"No."

Her face changed.

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Yeah, I do. Let me be clear. There will be nothing between us."

"But I came back for you."

I scoffed.

"You didn't come back to me, Maggie. You needed somewhere to go."

"Maybe it can be both."

"It can't."

"Because of her?"

"No," my voice was hard.

"Lila ain't got shit to do with why I don't want you."

Maggie flinched like I'd slapped her.

"Why are you yelling?"

We both turned. Gabby was in the hallway. Small. Scared. Hair messy from sleep.

I never got the sentence out.

A shot went off in the yard. My mind immediately went to Lila.

I ran. My heart pounding in the center of my stomach.

Lila had a man on his knees by the fence. The guy from months ago—the one who'd dropped her off in the SUV. The one I'd never gotten a name for until now. Pistol in both hands. Her mouth was split. Blood on her chin. Her shirt was torn at the shoulder, the collar hanging loose.