The screech of Jace’s tires echoed down the street, leaving a heavy, ringing silence in the driveway. I stood there, shivering in the night air, feeling like the ground beneath my feet had turned to sand.
Zayelle was still standing by the front door, her chest heaving. She wasn't looking at me. She was staring at the spot where Jace’s car had been, her expression a messy blur of fear and something else—something that looked dangerously like longing.
"Zayelle?" I called out softly.
She jumped, her eyes snapping to mine. "He’s not what Marvin says he is, Cass. I know what I saw at the old school. Jace didn't push Maya. He was trying to catch her. Marvin is the one who cornered her, but Jace is the one who took the blame so their dad wouldn't send Marvin to a military academy."
I felt a p
