Page 80 of Dead to Me

“I know.”

“Warren is dead.”

“I know.”

She swallowed.

“You can’t give me anything back.”

“I can clear your name.”

“My name?”

I stared at her. The thought from before came back. My face. Her face. My name. Her name. China had used all three as if they were hers.

I looked at my sister in a new way. She noticed.

“What?”

I said nothing.

“Milan?”

I looked her over, taking in the wedding dress and the diamond necklace. The photographer's words came back to me.

If you both had the same hair and clothes, I wouldn’t be able to tell you apart.

China took a step toward me.

“I'll confess.”

I smiled.

“No, you won’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t need you to anymore.”

Her face changed. I moved before she did. China ran for the door. I grabbed the back of her wedding dress and pulled. The fabric ripped. China screamed and fell. She kicked back, and her heel hit my shin.

I lost my balance. She scrambled across the floor and grabbed one of the broken champagne glasses. She swung it, and the jagged edge sliced my forearm.

I screamed. Blood immediately ran down my skin. China stared at what she had done. I looked at my arm, then at her.

“You should’ve ran.”

China swung again. I caught her wrist. The glass cut into my palm. I squeezed harder. China screamed. The broken stem fell. I punched her twice. Her head snapped back.

Blood sprayed from her mouth onto her wedding dress.

White turned to red. China grabbed my shoulders, and we crashed into the table. The flower arrangement fell over. Red roses scattered across the floor. A vase broke, and water spread beneath our feet.

China slipped, and I fell with her. The knife hit the floor. We both saw it. China moved first. I grabbed her ankle, but she screamed and kicked me in the face.

My lip split. She crawled toward the knife. I grabbed a handful of her dress, and the fabric tore again.

China reached out, her fingers brushing the handle. I pulled her back. She screamed my name as I climbed over her. China rolled away, her nails scraping across my cheek.