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“Us!” I snapped back.

“Us?” She laughed and shook her head. “You said what you needed to say.”

My heart clenched as I realized what she was doing. I’d seen it with people at school. I’d seen it with people she didn’t like.

Jade was upset. She was closing herself off.

To me.

“Don’t—”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” she snapped. “I’m going home, and you’re not stopping me.”

I barely listened to her before. I thought I could still push even now.

“Stop.” I grabbed her hand.

That was a mistake.

“Fuck you! Don’t try to apologize now. I don’t want to hear it!”

“Well, you will!”

“No! I heard you loud and clear. You’re leaving. You don’t care that I don’t want to, you just want me with you.”

“I . . . It’s what’s best.”

“You don’t get to decide that. You don’t get to make my choice for me.”

“It’s clearly the right one! You’re really gonna stay here?”

“I will. I’m staying here. I choose this town.”

Hearing her, my best friend, my first fucking love, choose the town over me hit me right in the center of my chest.

“This place?” I repeated. “Here?”

“Yeah! I am. Are you shocked?”

“Normally, you’re not this stupid.” The words escaped me before I could stop them, but once they were out, there was no taking them back.

My chest heaved. I felt like I was losing my mind. Everything hurt.

Jade was choosing Strawberry Springs. A town that Mom hated, the one that trapped her.

And she was choosing it over me.

“Excuse me?” She slowly turned. “Do you want me to murder you?”

“You’re all talk. You’ll go home and regret this.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she shook her head anyway. “I won’t regret anything.”

“Wanna bet?”

She paused and I heard the whispers.

They’re fighting?