instead of turning around and driving back to her own house, or leaving the car in Anna's driveway like a normal person—
She drove it to Dray's house. She wasn't even thinking clearly—just reacting. Acting like finishing the job would make the night make sense. By the time she pulled into Dray's driveway, her stomach was twisted in knots. The house was dark. No one home.
She killed the engine and sat there. In the silence. Alone. Nicole sat in the dark car, hands gripping the wheel, heart doing this weird stutter-step rhythm she couldn't explain. The street was quiet. Her thoughts weren't.
She leaned her head back, staring at the roof. "What am I even doing here?"
It felt stupid now. Driving Anna's car to Dray's house like some sad delivery girl. For what? Closure? Clarity? Pfft.
She turned on the headlights, planning to just back out and go. Then she froze. Two figures lit up by the beam, leaning against the side of the house near the garage. Close. Way too close. Nicole narrowed her eyes, leaned forward.
Her jaw dropped. It was Sky. And—oh no, no freaking way—her brother, Mark. Sky was laughing, breathless, her hands tangled in his hoodie as he kissed her like they'd been doing it for weeks. Mark's hand slid around her waist like he owned her.
Nicole slammed the headlights off and threw the car into park, throwing the door open like she was about to catch someone robbing a bank.
"Oh hell no!" she shouted, already storming toward them.
Sky jumped, spinning around mid-kiss. "N-Nicole?!"
Mark blinked, totally unfazed. "Sup."
"Sup?" Nicole's voice cracked with disbelief. "Are you—are you serious right now? This is what we're doing? You're tonguing my best friend like it's a damn rom-com behind a trash can?!"
Sky's face flushed. "We weren't—it's not like that—"
"Oh, please!" Nicole flailed one arm back toward the car. "I just walked in on him making out with his some girl, then I come here and find this mess?! Is everyone in this city making out with people they're not supposed to?!"
Mark shrugged. "Didn't know there were rules."
Nicole turned on him. "You're literally my brother!"
"And she's hot," he replied, deadpan.
"Mark!" Sky hissed, smacking his chest. "Don't say it like that!"
Nicole gaped at them both. "I'm in hell. This is hell. I died at the Anna's house and this is the afterlife."
Sky looked guilty. "Nicole, I was going to tell you—"
Nicole held up a hand, breathing hard. "No. No more tonight. I cannot emotionally process another scandal. Somebody get me a therapist or a tequila. Or both."
Sky took a cautious step toward her. "Nicole, listen—"
Nicole stepped back, face unreadable. "Nah. Don't do that. Don't give me your soft
voice like I'm crazy."
"I wasn't trying to hide it—"
"But you did." Nicole's voice cracked. "You've been sneaking around with my brother—and for what? Some dumb little thrill? Just admit it!"
Mark stepped in, arms crossed, calm like always. "She didn't sneak around. We just didn't tell you because you'd act exactly like this."
Nicole's head snapped toward him. "Excuse me?"
"You overreact. You always do."
"Oh, you think this is me overreacting?" She stepped forward, chest rising, anger shaking in her voice. "You think me catching my best friend playing tonsil hockey with my brother is me overreacting?. You've been 'too good' for every girl in this town and now suddenly Sky's on the menu?"
Sky flinched. "Nicole!"
"No, don't 'Nicole' me right now. You were my person, Sky. We've been through shits together. And you still thought it was cool to start messing with him behind my back?"
"I didn't mess with him—"
"Then what's this?" Nicole pointed at them.
Nicole's eyes glistened, but she refused to cry.
she turned on her heel, walked back to the car without another word, and slammed the door.
She sat in the dark again, this time shaking— From fury. From betrayal. And from the storm building inside her.
Nicole yanked the wheel into the driveway so fast the tires screeched. The car barely stopped before she threw the door open and stormed out, keys clenched in one hand, fury burning through her veins like gasoline.
The slam of the door echoed behind her, and two seconds later, another car pulled up. Mark. Of course.
"Nicole!" he called out as he jumped out, jogging after her.
She didn't stop. "Go away."
"Come on, we need to talk."
"No. We don't."
But her front door opened before she could even reach it. Alex stepped out fake-concern all over her face. "What's the fuss about?"
And behind her, Chelsea leaned into the doorway, wide-eyed.
Jaden appeared too, his arms folded, giving her that look—half disappointed brother, half angry landlord. "Where the hell were you?"
Mark stepped forward, tone firmer than usual. "Everybody go inside."
Alex looked like she was about to argue, but something in Mark's expression made her stop. She sighed and pulled Chelsea gently by the arm. "Come on. Let's give them space."
Chelsea frowned, but followed without a word.
Jaden didn't move. He stood by the porch railing, arms still crossed. "I'm not leaving."
Mark glanced at him. "You don't have to. This is family stuff."
Nicole let out a bitter laugh, still halfway to the door. "Oh, now we're a family?"
Mark ignored that. "You've been spiraling for days, Nicole. And I didn't want to throw this in your face while you were already falling apart… but yeah, me and Sky? There's a reason."
She turned to face him slowly, eyes narrowed. "What kind of reason?"
He glanced toward Jaden, then back at Nicole. "It's about Angel."
Jaden's eyes flicked to Nicole, then back to Mark. He didn't argue—just folded his arms and stayed put, a silent sentinel.
Mark took a deep breath, lowering his voice. "Sky's been through hell since Angel's mom died. You all know that. She's barely holding on—she went to the cops today. Drunk. Depressed. I found her there."
Nicole's breath hitched, eyes narrowing.
"This isn't about feelings," Mark said, voice grim. "I'm not with Sky because I want to be. I'm pretending. To keep her quiet. To keep us all out of jail."
The words landed like a fist in Nicole's gut.
Jaden's face darkened. "So it's all a cover?"
Mark nodded slowly. "Exactly. And if anyone hears about this, if Sky cracks, it's over. We all go down."
Nicole looked away, the weight of it sinking in. The tangled mess of loyalties, lies, and desperation pulsed between them, thick and suffocating.
Mark's eyes met hers. "This stays between us. No one else."
Nicole's jaw clenched, a flash of anger and hurt crossing her face. "To keep her quiet like she's some secret we have to hide? She's not a pawn, Mark."
Mark's eyes didn't waver. "I know you didn't want this. None of us did. But it's the only way right now."
She shook her head, voice sharp. "No. There has to be another way. Using her like this… it's wrong."
Jaden stepped forward slightly, his tone low but firm. "Sometimes 'wrong' is the only thing that keeps us alive."
Nicole looked at him, then back at Mark, the weight of it all crushing her. "I'm not losing Sky too."
Jaden cut in sharply, eyes cold. "Sky is a threat. You think we can just let her run to the cops with what she knows? Do you want all of us in jail? Because that's what happens if she talks."
Nicole shook her head, furious. "That's not fair. She's scared—she's not some enemy."
Jaden's jaw tightened. "Doesn't matter. We don't get to choose what she is. What matters is what she can do. And right now, that's too dangerous."
Mark stepped closer, voice low and hard. "We don't have the luxury of feelings here. Sky's got to be controlled. Taken care of. Whatever it takes."
Nicole's breath hitched, but she said nothing.
Jaden's gaze never wavered. "This isn't about hurting someone we care about. It's about survival. Ours."
Alex stepped outside, her voice gentle but cautious.
"Is everything really okay? It sounded… intense."
Jaden gave a quick shake of his head, trying to downplay it.
"It's nothing. Just a little tension—normal stuff."
Chelsea bit her lip, then spoke up quietly but sharp enough to cut through the calm.
"Yeah, if by 'normal' you mean a mess that's about to blow up in everyone's faces?."
Nicole's eyes flashed, her voice cold and firm.
Nicole's eyes flashed, her voice cold and firm.
"Jesus, just shut up."
Jaden stepped forward, voice sharper now. "Don't talk to her like that."
"What? so now you're protecting Chelsea?"
Alex raised her voice. "Nicole, I don't know what your problem is tonight, but you can't talk to Chelsea like that"
Mark sighed behind her. "Nic, can we just talk alone for two seconds—"
"No!" she shouted, whirling around. "You lost that right when you shoved your tongue down Sky's throat!"
Alex gasped. "That's disgusting!"
Jaden shook his head. "Yo, what is wrong with you lately?"
Nicole turned, slow, deliberate.
"You want to know what's wrong with me?" Her voice was eerily calm now. "Y'all really want to act like I'm the problem here? Like I'm just out here being dramatic for fun?"
They stared at her. Nicole's eyes burned. "I got drugged. At a party. I didn't even remember half the night. And none of you—not one of you—asked what happened. They all judged me. Talked about me like I was trash. It sounds fun but it wasn't."
Silence. Alex looked stunned. Jaden Frozen. Nicole gave a hollow laugh, wiping her face even though no tears had fallen yet.
"Yeah. That's what's wrong with me."
Then she walked past all of them, into the house, up the stairs, and slammed her bedroom door so hard the whole wall shook.
The silence lasted a full ten seconds before it cracked. Chelsea's voice floated up the stairs, fake-sweet and loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Well… maybe if you weren't always acting like some loud, dramatic victim, people would actually want to help you."
Nicole's door flew open like a bullet. She didn't think. She charged.
"Say that again!" she shouted, her voice wild and shaking as she came down the stairs two at a time.
Chelsea backed up instinctively but didn't shut up. "I said what I said! You act like the world owes you something just because you're miserable!"
"You bitch—"
Nicole lunged. Chelsea squealed as Nicole grabbed a fistful of her shirt, and for a second, it looked like Nicole was ready to swing.
Mark stepped forward—too slow.
Then Jaden grabbed Nicole from behind, yanking her back hard.
"That's Enough!" he shouted, pulling her away and slamming her against the wall. She struggled in his grip, eyes wild with fury. "Let me go! Let me go—!"
"Nicole, stop it!" Jaden's voice was thunder "You're losing your damn mind"
But Nicole wouldn't stop
And then— SLAP. His hand cracked across her face, sharp, loud, echoing. Time stopped. Nicole froze. Even Chelsea gasped.
Mark stood there, stunned. Alex didn't move.
Nicole slowly turned her head back toward Jaden, eyes wide with shock.
Her voice, when it came, was quiet.
"…You hit me."
Jaden looked like he didn't believe it himself.
"I didn't—I didn't mean—"
Nicole stared at him. Her cheek was already red. Her breath shallow.
"You hit me," she repeated, voice flat. "You really did that."
She stepped back from him. From all of them.
"Okay," she whispered, nodding. "Cool. Got it."
And then she turned around, walked back up the stairs without a single word more, and this time—she didn't slam the door. She closed it soft.
And locked it. The lock clicked softly behind her. Nicole stood there, staring at the door, her breathing shallow. The hallway noise faded out, like someone turned the world down to a low hum.
She didn't cry.
She didn't scream.
She just… stood. Her hand slowly touched her cheek—still hot from Jaden's slap. She walked to her bed and sat down on the edge like her body was moving on autopilot. Shoes still on. Fingers clenched.
Mind spinning. Everything inside her felt like static. Her eyes drifted toward her dresser mirror. She could see herself—barely. Dark circles under her eyes. Lips parted. The imprint of her brother's hand not quite fading yet.
And then—finally—it cracked. Her chest tightened. Her throat locked. And the tears came, silent and violent, spilling down her face as her shoulders folded forward.No sobbing. No sound.
Just heartbreak leaking out, drop by drop.
She curled up sideways on the bed, facing the wall, knees tucked to her chest like she was trying to shrink herself out of existence.
She had nothing left.Not her friends. Not her brother. Not even her home. She wiped her face against the sleeve of her hoodie, clinging to it like armor. Her voice was barely a whisper, choked and bitter.
"…Screw all of them."