* VIOLET SWAN

**Portland, Oregon.

**꘎♡━━━━━━━♡꘎**

I know something’s wrong. I know Kate wouldn’t be here unless it was serious—and no matter how hard Aarón tries to hide it, the tension between him and his sister is too thick to ignore.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, jolting me out of my thoughts. When I see the name on the screen, I answer without thinking.

“Hey, Lanny…”

“Hello, Violet.”

I nearly drop the phone. That wasn’t my friend.

“Surprised? Or scared?” the voice on the other end asks, laced with mockery.

“What do you want?” I bite out, clenching my jaw to keep my voice from shaking. “And why do you have Leilanny’s phone?”

“From *you*?” She laughs, sharp and cruel. “Nothing, you pathetic little thing. Honestly, I wish you’d never existed… or at least that you’d drowned that day.”

I take a slow breath, swallowing the fire building in my throat. Lashing out won’t help. But I won’t