She was lost and so was he.
Who knew that two broken hearts can connect to one.
Arabella's world has been rigged since the day she was born. Her fate had been decided for her much longer before she even had been conceived in the womb. So it came as...
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"It's all your fault," I whisper in the silence. The earplug in my ear burns into my mind. I know people think I'm talking to myself, and it doesn't go unnoticed by Alexei, who speaks into my ear.
"Look at Vivian."
"It's all your fault," I repeat, this time louder but still not loud enough for it to sound like anything unusual. My eyes lift to meet Vivian's, and I squint, furrowing my brows in anger. I let my rage for Alexei transfer onto her, method acting in its purest form.
"What?" Vivian looks at me, unsure, taking a step toward me. I'm quick to stand up from where I've been sitting and take a step back.
"You were driving recklessly," I say, my voice sharp. "If you hadn't insisted on driving like a maniac, even after Luca told you to stop, you wouldn't have skidded. He could've dodged the bullet. If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't be lying there, hooked up to so many wires, fighting for his life."
Everyone's eyes widen in shock at the venom in my voice. The disgust, the wrath, the heartache all collide into a poisonous mixture, waiting to explode.
Vivian's eyes fill with tears, her already-red eyes shimmering with the same anguish I feel. It's the only thing we match right now.
"Arabella, are you okay? You don't need to go off on Vivian like this." Marco steps in beside her, catching me off guard. Everyone else is still too shocked by my outburst to react.
"Repeat everything I say," Alexei instructs, his voice calm, almost amused.
"Well, I'm completely fine, but Luca sure as hell isn't," my mouth opens, but it's not me speaking—it's Alexei's voice, guiding my words. "And at least I'm using my words to express myself. Vivian only uses danger. Almost killing Luca was probably how she shows love, right?"
"Ara—" Marco starts, but I cut him off with a sharp shake of my head.
"Fuck off, Marco. You don't care. You sulk in your bubble of pity. Have fun there, but out here in the real world, we're all going through shit."
It's a low blow. One of the lowest I've ever thrown, but Alexei has done his research. He's making me take them all down, and I'm letting him.
"I don't think you're thinking straight right now," Aria mumbles, her hand wrapping around my arm. I had been keeping my distance from everyone, but I'd forgotten about Aria, who had been at Luca's door.
"I think I am. How do you feel knowing Luca's hurt because of her?" I don't let up. "The worst part? She could've gotten anyone else in this room hurt too." Those words are mine, not Alexei's. I didn't want to be mad at Vivian, but I am. She didn't listen when she was asked to stop. We could've avoided all of this.
I hear Alexei's praise in my ear, but I push it aside as Mateo speaks.
"Ara, she should've stopped. We understand that. But we've all done reckless things. This one just had consequences."
