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“Blaise,” Dad scolded, standing from his chair.
“Don’t fucking interrupt me,” I growled at him, clenching my jaw and nearly chipping my teeth at the sheer amount of pressure I used to grind them together. “I’m done with this family. I’ve done everything you’ve ever wanted, and you guys don’t give a fuck until something happens to me, only becauseyour nameis associated with it.”
Mom huffed. “If it wasn’t for—”
“I’m done,” I declared. “I’m fucking done for good this time. And I’m leaving.”
I didn’t know that was what I had planned to say before I said it. Somehow, as soon as the words jutted out of my mouth like spears, a weight that I had been carrying for years now lifted off my shoulders.
I didn’t know where the hell I’d go, but leaving was my only choice. They’d treated me like shit for years, and I had dealt with it. But as soon as Mom had laid a fucking hand on my girl, that was the final straw.
“I’m leaving,” I repeated more to myself. “For good.”
ChapterSixty-Two
VERA
Gently, I rubbed my head where Blaise’s mother had yanked my hair this morning and sat at the lunch table. Blaise had apologized about it all morning, asking me if there was anything that he could do to make it up to me.
It wasn’t his fault that his mom was a bitch. He wasn’t to blame.
He’d seemed desperate to make it up to me somehow, so I had briefly told him to get me spaghetti and meatballs for lunch—something that’d be easy. Honestly, I didn’t think he’d even remember. He had so much on his mind.
Whispers echoed through the cafeteria about Blaise, even after I’d stuck up for him yesterday. I pulled out my brown paper bag of food that I had thrown together before I left this morning and glanced over at Piper, sighing.
“Where’s Maddie?” I asked, the thought of Mom being with Blaise’s dad still haunting me.
Though I knew it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. Mom wouldn’t do something like that, especially not to our family.
“Withyou know who,” Piper said.
“Who?”
“Her brother’s best friend. In the restroom. Probably doing the dirty.”
I curled my lips into a small smile and opened my water bottle. “You know that—”
João Rocha slammed his palm onto the table, fingers sprawled out against my lunch bag. He took it and looked inside, scrunching his nose and handing it back to me. “You got no good food.”
“Did you expect a five-star meal?” I snapped, hiding my lunch from him.
“No, but I expect you to watch my sister tonight.”
“I’m busy.”
“Don’t fucking test me, Vera. We had a deal.”
“Fine,” I huffed, staring up at him. “I’ll watch Ana.”
“Good,” he said, turning away from me. “I’ll bring her over at four.”
From across the cafeteria, I spotted Mateo sitting with his friends and staring back at me. Once he glanced around at them uncomfortably, he said something, then stood and walked over to me. He eyed João’s departing figure and took his place at my side.
“Hey.”
“Um, hey,” I said. “I thought you didn’t want me to talk to you today.”
“Where’s Blaise?”
