My mother’s words hit me like a punch to the chest. I stood there, frozen, unable to move or speak. My ears rang as her voice echoed in my head.
“Zack and I…”
She didn’t finish the sentence, but I already knew what she meant. The pain that shot through my body was sharp and deep. I wanted to believe she was lying, but her eyes told me everything. She wasn’t joking. She wasn’t confused. She was serious.
I looked at Zack. The smug smile on his face made me sick. I could feel my blood boil. My hands shook, and I clenched them so hard that my knuckles turned white.
“You can’t be serious,” I said slowly.
My mother looked away, unable to meet my eyes. “Pontius, it’s not what you think,” she said softly.
I laughed bitterly. “Not what I think? You’re sitting beside the man who hated me and a
