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Teagan’s mouth hit the ground. “You’re an arsonist? Is that how someone died?”
I swallowed over the grief and self-hatred, but it threatened to choke me. Maybe I could have escaped Peter a long time ago, but somewhere deep inside me, I needed to be punished for what I’d done. “Yeah.”
“Son of a fucking bitch, Phoebe. That’s a huge secret!” She hopped off the bed, planted her hands on her slender hips, turned her back to me, and walked away.
“I told you I could go to prison. I tried to warn you.”
Teagan spun around on her heel. “Murder and arson, Phoebe, is a big fucking deal!” she hissed.
“It was an accident,” I said in a weak attempt to defend myself.
My best friend’s nostrils flared, and a flush traveled across her cheeks. She was pissed. I didn’t blame her.
“It happened right before I met you at the academy.” A tear slipped down my face, and I angrily swiped it away. “It was a hot summer night, and I couldn’t sleep. Not wanting to wake anyone, I snuck out of the house and sat on the front porch. It was so peaceful, and the flurry of my thoughts calmed down. I’m not sure how long I was out there, maybe half an hour. When I was ready to go in, I literally had my hand on the doorknob and someone grabbed me from behind.”
Teagan’s brows shot up, but she remained quiet.
“She dragged me off into the trees and pressed a gun to my head. The girl introduced herself as Crimson.” A shudder worked its way through me.
Teagan paced the room, chewing on her manicured thumbnail while I continued to talk.
“The second she told me her name, I knew it was bad. At first, I attempted to fight her, but she was too strong. Then, it dawned on me that if I wanted to live, I had to do everything Crimson told me to do. Honestly, I didn’t think she would let me walk away. She was crazy and dangerous.”
“Phoebs.” Teagan’s tone softened.
“Crimson walked me into the house with her gun trained on me. She said she would kill my stepbrother if I didn’t set the fire.” Swallowing hard against the agony, I tried to hold myself together.
“Holy crap.” Teagan eased down on the side of the bed, her expression filled with worry.
“I struck the match, then we ran away. Crimson forced me to hide in the trees again and watch it burn. My . . . my stepbrother never made it out.” I was unable to control myself any longer. A sob welled in my throat and before I could swallow it down, it escaped.
“You never told me that you had a stepbrother. Oh my God.” Teagan pulled me against her. She smoothed my hair as my cries shook my body. “I’m so sorry you lived through that.”
I gripped her forearm, clinging to my best friend. “I thought I would lose you if you knew the truth.”
“Well, we were heading in that direction at first, but no fucking way, bitch. You’re stuck with me.”
Eventually, the crying slowed and I sat up. A nervous giggle escaped me.
“You always giggle at the weirdest times.” Teagan wiped her damp cheeks and blew out a heavy breath. “I have a lot of questions, then we have to figure out how to deal with Peter and make sure you’re safe.”
I nodded, scooted back against my headboard, and grabbed a pillow to hug. “I’m listening.”
“Okay, so I’m trying to get the timeline straight.” Teagan cracked her neck, and her gaze narrowed. “Did anyone else die in the fire?”
More tears slipped down my cheeks. “No.” As much as I wanted to tell Teagan more about my stepbrother, I wasn’t sure I had the strength to do it. Maybe later. Our conversation was heavy enough.
“My dad, stepmom, and her relatives that were visiting all made it out.”
“I bet they were so relieved to see you!” She flopped back on my bed and stared at the ceiling.
“They thought I died in the fire. Crimson held me hostage for three days.”
Teagan bolted upright. She was making me dizzy, bouncing up and down, but I understood the need to move. I squeezed the pillow to my stomach in an attempt to comfort myself.
“Phoebs, did she . . . hurt you?” She took my hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“No. I mean, she tied me to a chair and stuck a gag in my mouth. Other than that, she fed me, gave me water, let me walk around. It could have been worse.”
