Page 150 of Knot Their Starlet

For the life of me, I can’t figure out what she wants me to say. She said it when we started the call. She doesn’t believe a single word out of my mouth.

I take a deep, shuddering breath, catching a whiff of Eli’s blood orange, both lingering on my skin from when we made out and on his borrowed t-shirt.

It helps me channel a little bit more of a backbone. Apologies have gotten me nowhere so far.

“You never had a problem with me going out with Ezra,” I point out.

There’s a beat of silence on the other end of the line.

“That was different.”

“How?” I scoff, unable to hide the bitterness in my words.

“Don’t use that tone on me, Andromeda,” my mom snarls. “Ezra was your boyfriend. These men are⁠—”

“Ezra put me in the hospital, Mom. It’s like you only remember that when it’s convenient for you to throw it back in my face.”

The moment the words leave me, I’m overwhelmed by a bone-deep exhaustion.

“I want you to come home,” Gina says, her voice shifting to something softer. Something a hell of a lot more dangerous. “You’re clearly going through something and you need your mother right now. I’ll send a car right away. This is incredibly concerning, Andromeda. You’re acting so out of character.”

An agreement is on the tip of my tongue. Anything to get this to stop.

But then my phone buzzes in my hand.

Unknown number

It’s Everett. Do not go.

Say you have an interview that was a new addition to the calendar. It doesn’t make sense for you to leave now.

My head whips around, and a hot flush of shame builds up from my neck and into my cheeks.

I meet Everett’s piercing blue gaze, his lips pursed into a thin line, through the crack in Leo’s door.

Oh, I guess I didn’t close it.

“Andromeda?”

I stare down at his texts.

Maybe I left it open on purpose. No one has ever heard my mom like this before.

It’s... liberating.

Unknown number

I will keep you safe

We all will

“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mom,” I answer, turning away from the door to give myself the illusion of privacy. My voice is soft and shaky-sounding. My face crumples. I’m so pathetic. I’ve been given a script to say to get out of this and I’m still trembling.

“What? Why not?”

“I actually have an interview with Beck later. It’s a new addition to the calendar. It doesn’t make sense for me to head all the way back home right now.”

“New addition? What in the⁠—”