him, her mind ree

, desperate sincerity. "Kianna, you have to understand. Jesse... she's not like you. S

in the air, c

continued, his voice pleading. "Be the mat

e to. He knew Jesse had attacked her, had lied, and he was

end to what he would ask of her? Did she have to bleed, to

same for me?" Kianna asked,

ailed off, but she heard the unspoken words. She wouldn't unde

nna reached for it, her fingers brushing agains

nd picked up the spoon. "Here,

g open again. Jesse stood there, her own h

to the bedside. "I was just so stressed about t

et me make it up to you." She opened it to reveal a pair

sse took one of the earrings.

m," Jesse said, looking at him w

nna," Brayden said

a sharp, searing pain. Jesse had shoved the post

back. "You don't have your ears pie

ped from K

, her fingers coming away bloody. She looked at Jesse's

id, her voice flat.

toward her, a flicker

g a trembling finger at Jesse. "Your

se's minor scratch, his back completely turned to Kianna and the blood runni

Kianna was

from the soup container. Without a flicker of emoti

he hospital the next day. On

iends are having a get-together tonight, you ha

Brayden had already answer

erlooking the city. Everyone was beaut

cheekbones whispered loudly to her

r. "Everyone, this is Kianna. She's... a dis

in. That's wha

heir gazes dismissive. "A line cook

ed it off, guiding the conversation toward a m

k corner. She watched them, a pack of glittering, beautif

father-in-law," he mouthed to Jesse, meaning Daniel David. He g

r friends huddled together, ignoring Kianna completely, thei

shabby, a weed in a ga

e of Jesse's friends, a blonde named Ti

a gift from Brayden, from

h her eyes danced with malice. "She can't a

, her nails digging into her palms. She looked down at her hands, calloused and scarred f

his face grim. The women

a game. "Let's p