Chapter 3

I barely hear what Dad says after that.

All I catch is that he wants me to go back to the condo, pack a bag, and wait for someone to pick me up.

I used to hate going home because my parents watched me too closely.

Tonight, I say yes.

After the call ends, I take out my phone to call an Uber.

Footsteps sound behind me.

"Serena."

I stop.

Sterling circles around and stands in front of me. His eyes drop to the back of my hand.

"You got burned? Let me see."

He reaches for my wrist, but I step back.

His hand hangs in the air for a second before he pulls it away.

"Fine. Don't show me."

He slips both hands into his pockets.

"Renata's at the ER. It's a bad stomach bug, nothing to do with the baby. I got her settled and came back because I figured you'd still be upstairs."

"What makes you think I'd wait for you?"

"You didn't drive."

I fall silent.

He's right.

I waited at home for him to pick me up tonight.

When he was two blocks away, Renata called to say she was sick, and he made a U-turn to go get her.

I ended up riding here with Gemma.

Sterling nods toward his car.

"Get in. I'll take you home."

He pauses, then adds.

"I still need to go back to Renata. She already felt awful tonight, and I went too hard on her with that bet. I probably made it worse."

He says it like nothing happened.

Like betraying me with my best friend is something he can explain once and brush under the rug.

Like the cigarette he dragged across my hand before chasing her didn't matter either.

I don't move.

"Go by yourself."

"Serena." His voice hardens.

"Your hand is burned. If you stand out here waiting for a ride alone, Gemma and the others will ask me why I left you. Then I'll have to explain everything. If you're not tired of this, I am."

"If you're so sick of it, why did you get her pregnant?"

Sterling pauses, then lowers his head with a laugh.

"You jealous?"

"That's Renata. She's not some stranger!"

"If I hadn't gone after her, could you live with yourself if something happened to her?"

He even smiles as he says it, almost patiently, like he is waiting for a difficult child to calm down.

Something inside me shuts off.

"Get in."

He jerks his chin toward the car.

"I'll take you home, and we need to do something about that hand."

My pulse jumps.

A shudder of pure revulsion runs up my spine.

"Sterling, every word coming out of your mouth makes me sick."

He looks surprised for a second.

Then he smiles.

"Serena, you're angry. I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"If I say you're both disgusting, you'll pretend you didn't hear that too?"

"Yeah."

"What if I say I can't stand looking at you?"

He holds my gaze.

"If you really couldn't stand me, you wouldn't still be here talking to me."

He reaches out and pulls the zipper of my jacket a little higher.

"Go home and get some sleep. If you still want to yell at me tomorrow, I'll listen."

His expression turns serious.

"But don't take this out on Renata. I'm the one who screwed up. She came to me, and I didn't push her away. She said she needed me, and I went."

He says it without excuses.

He admits he betrayed me, but still makes sure to protect her.

The cold from the burn gel has faded.

Now the place where the cigarette touched me finally starts to hurt.