Butterflies

Chapter 19

I sat on my bed, knees pulled tightly to my chest. The glow of my phone lit up the dim room, casting restless shadows on the walls. Angelica had texted me three times.

"Jules, I'm outside on your porch."
"Please, we need to talk."

My hands trembled as I typed a reply, the words coming slower than usual.

"I'm not home, Angie."

Her response came almost instantly.

"You're lying to me."

I froze, my chest tightening like a vise. The phone slipped from my grip, landing softly on the bed beside me. I buried my face in my hands, as if I could hide from the weight pressing on me.

Alex's voice slithered through my mind, dark and inescapable.

"You were mine then. You are mine now. And you will always be mine."

No matter how much I wanted to block it out, his words clung to me, suffocating like iron chains. Chains I couldn't break.

(:)

"Hey, honey," a warm voice broke through the fog, gentle fingers combing through my hair. The familiar comfort eased me, if only for a moment.

"Hi, Mom," I murmured, blinking as her face came into view.

Her teasing smile softened the edges of my panic. "I just saw Angelica on the porch. Are you two having an argument?" Her tone was light, almost playful. Then her eyebrows arched knowingly. "Or—" she added with a mischievous grin—"is this about a boy?"

"Mom, no," I groaned, heat rushing to my face. "I just fell asleep immedi—"

Her ridiculously cheerful ringtone interrupted me, loud and obnoxious enough to make me cringe.

"Imagine getting that call in the middle of a meeting," I said with a wry chuckle.

"Shh, don't jinx it!" she shot back, laughing as she walked out of the room to take the call.

The door clicked shut, and the lightness she brought with her faded like smoke. I slumped back against the headboard, her earlier question replaying in my mind.

"Are you and Angelica fighting?"

"If only you knew," I muttered to no one.

As if summoned by my thoughts, my phone buzzed again. The name flashing on the screen made my stomach lurch.

Demi.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head.
"No."
"No!"

I shoved the phone away like it was a venomous snake. Her calls came in waves—relentless. Ten, fifteen, twenty. My chest tightened with every buzz. I felt cornered, drowning in the noise.

Finally, the buzzing stopped. Thirty calls, fifteen messages. Silence.

I exhaled shakily, my head pounding. The sight of her name still glowing on the screen made my stomach twist.