Mary's POV
Speaking to Lee was nice.
Honestly, I thought he was going to be a jerk, but I guess the saying is true—don't judge a book by its cover.
A loud crash came from the next room.
I froze.
Yep.
Maya was officially losing her mind.
Part of me was surprised she hadn't stormed into my room yet to lash out. Maybe she had finally outgrown that habit.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.
I rolled my eyes.
Outgrown my ass.
Before I could even finish the thought, my bedroom door flew open.
"Mary, what was that for?" Maya demanded. "You're supposed to be on my side! You're my sister, for goodness' sake! Why are you talking to that son of a bitch who used your sister? Mary! Answer me, damn it!"
The words came out so fast they almost blended together.
Maya looked terrifying.
Not just angry.
Terrifying.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned white, and her chest rose and fell with every ragged breath.
I knew better than to argue with her when she was like this.
Saying anything now would be like throwing gasoline on a fire.
Unlike Maya, I actually needed my beauty sleep.
"Could you leave my room?" I asked calmly. "When you're ready to talk like a human being, let me know. But for now, get out."
I sounded confident.
Inside, my stomach was twisting itself into knots.
The truth was, Maya scared me when she got like this.
After everything that happened in the past, after all the doctors and therapists, there were still moments when I wasn't sure what she was capable of.
"Are you crazy?" Maya shouted. "Why? Why can't you support me for once? Why do you hate me so much that you'd choose your sister's enemy over her?"
Her voice cracked.
Her eyes glistened with tears.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too hot.
Too suffocating.
She knew I hated talking about what happened.
She knew exactly how I would react.
And somehow, that made me angrier.
"Why?" I laughed bitterly. "You're asking me why?"
I stood up so fast my chair nearly fell over.
"You're unbelievable."
"What did Lana do, Maya? Tell me. Did she deserve the crap you pulled today at school?"
Maya looked away.
"And you said you were friends."
The word tasted bitter in my mouth.
"Friends?" I repeated. "A real friend listens. A real friend thinks before acting. A real friend actually considers the other person's feelings."
I could hear my voice rising, but I couldn't stop.
"But what did you do?"
Silence.
"You aren't acting like a friend, Maya."
I swallowed hard.
"You're acting like her enemy."
The words hung between us.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
"And you want to talk about me?" I continued. "I can't believe you're saying this. You know I'll always support you. You know that."
My throat tightened.
"Now get out, Maya. I don't want to repeat myself."
Her jaw clenched.
"TELL LANA I'M NOT DONE WITH HER!" she snapped. "By the time I'm done, she'll regret ever knowing me."
Fear shot through me.
"You'll do nothing," I said firmly.
Maya laughed.
The sound sent chills down my spine.
"You're delusional."
"When you finally realize the world doesn't revolve around you—"
"MARY, LEE IS MINE!"
The scream cut through my words like a knife.
Everything went silent.
I stared at her.
Tears streamed down her face.
Real tears.
Not angry tears.
Broken ones.
"I loved him," she whispered.
Her voice cracked.
"Do you know when I started loving him?"
I didn't answer.
"NINE YEARS."
The room felt strangely quiet.
Nine years.
The anger inside me faltered.
Nine years was a long time.
A long time to hope.
A long time to dream.
A long time to love someone who never loved you back.
"And she knows, Mary," Maya continued, wiping her face with trembling hands. "She knows."
For the first time that night, Maya didn't look angry.
She looked hurt.
Small.
Broken.
"She has to pay for this," she whispered. "When I think about it, there's no way she didn't notice how he looked at her."
I shook my head.
"Maya..."
My voice softened.
"I haven't known Lana for very long."
She didn't look at me.
"But the little time I've spent with both of you tells me she would never do that."
Still nothing.
"She's not the kind of person who throws away a friendship over a guy."
"You don't understand."
Maya shook her head.
"You never will."
She started walking toward the door.
Slowly.
Like every step hurt.
Then she stopped.
Turned around.
"Mary..."
For a moment, it looked like she wanted to say something important.
Something she'd never said before.
But whatever it was, she swallowed it.
"Never mind."
And then she left.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Silence.
I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor.
My entire body felt drained.
Every argument with Maya left scars.
Even the ones nobody could see.
I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes.
Part of me was angry.
Part of me felt guilty.
And another part just felt sad.
Because beneath all the jealousy, all the screaming, and all the pain...
Maya was hurting.
And somehow, I had a feeling Lana was hurting too.
The thought followed me as my eyes slowly drifted shut.