Arielle
“Can you just let me have this day?” I asked quietly.
Darius looked at me, then smiled. “No.”
My jaw tightened. Of course he wouldn’t let me.
I stepped closer. “I’m sick, okay?” The lie came too easily. “I need to see a doctor.”
Joel sensed the tension immediately and excused himself without a word.
“I’m saying this because you can’t tell,” I added.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” Darius said.
“I said I’m sick,” I repeated, forcing calm into my voice. “I need a doctor.”
He hummed, unimpressed. “You’re not sick. You’re making up that excuse because of her.”
I froze.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he added.
Tessa stepped in gently. “It’s okay, Arielle. We’ll talk on the phone.”
My eyes never left Darius. Rage burned through me.
“I don’t know why you’re
