It wasn’t hard for Sarina to get Rion’s room number.

She put on a smile and asked nicely at the information desk, saying she was his friend and came for a visit. Sarina had practice faking it in school. She’d learned that if she smiled and cried at the right times, she could get away with just about anything.

And it worked. It was too easy. She got the floor and room number and made sure to walk calmly to the elevator, despite her pounding heart.

It was easy for her to keep up that smile, even on the elevator ride. She was ready. She was going to really give it to Rion.

How could he?! How could he do that to Amber?!

She took a shuddering breath as the elevator came to a stop and when the door opened, she stepped out with confidence. They’d given her a slip of paper with the room number, but she didn’t even look at it, remembering what she’d been told, looking for the right place as she walked down the hall…

There!

Her emotions spiked in her chest as she strode forward. She couldn’t name it, the feeling too sharp and raw, a mix of anxiety and excitement. The door was partially opened and she shoved it out of the way, pushing her way in.

“Rion!” Sarina began and then stopped short.

She knew he was in the hospital, but in her storm of emotions she’d somehow forgotten why Rion was here in the first place. She thought she was ready, fueled by fury and a need for justice. But everything grinded to an abrupt halt.

Rion was sitting in his hospital bed, looking like the most miserable mess of a human Sarina had ever laid eyes on. He was cut, bruised, bandaged… Had he always been that small? That skinny? That pathetic?

“Sarina?” he said, wide eyed. He sat up straighter and winced at even the small motion. “What are you doing here?”

Sarina sucked in a breath to respond, but it caught in her chest. It took her precious seconds to get the words out.

“You… Celeste told me everything,” she spit out, clenching her fists at her sides. “She told me… How could you! Amber… You… How could you do that to her?!”

Rion’s expression changed. The shock melted away and his expression soured to something bitter and resigned.

“Oh,” was all he said, meeting her stare head on, hands fisting in his sheets.

Sarina hated seeing Rion like this. She’d seen it before, all those times she faced him at school, and she’d hated it then too. But now she really began to understand why – why it bothered her so much and made her so angry.

Rion faced her dozens of times, looked her in the eye the way he did now. It was like he was accepting whatever she was about to do, like he expected her to lose it on him, like he embraced whatever she was about to dish out.

But now he looked so horrible. He was obviously hurt, cut up, scarred. And since she knew he’d electrocuted Amber… Maybe that’s why he looked like he accepted it. Maybe that’s why…

Rion was in the hospital because he’d saved Noa.

That’s why he was cut up. He’d sliced himself to ribbons to pull a shard of glass out of Noa’s hands.

It confused Sarina. It made her angrier than angry. She was furious!

But…

But some small part of her asked if she would do the same.

She wanted to believe that she loved Noa. She wanted to believe that she would do anything for him, always.

But would she dive into shattered glass for him?

Would she take beatings for him?

Would she have electrocuted Amber?

No. She wouldn’t. She wouldn’t do that to Amber. Never!

But she wouldn’t dive into glass for Noa either. She wouldn’t lie and take the blame for wrecking the bracelet. She wouldn’t let herself get bullied and beaten. Sarina knew she’d fight back; she’d tell the truth or make excuses.

And maybe that was the right thing to do. Maybe that was the right answer. Maybe it was a good thing to avoid danger and not sacrifice yourself for someone, no matter how much you cared about them.

Rion was right in front of her, all cut up because he saved Noa. But he was the same person who killed Amber.

Why? Why?! It didn’t make sense!

It didn’t…

Did it?

Sarina felt her eyes sting with tears. All her thoughts were crashing on themselves, connecting to create a horrible, twisted truth. Her fingers were digging in hard enough to bruise her palms. She was shaking, trembling, furious and vengeful and heartbroken.

Everything suddenly made perfect sense. It all fit together.

She sucked in a sharp breath.

“Take better care of yourself, you asshole!” she cried out.

Rion was staring at her, mouth falling half-open. She could see the confusion bleeding into his expression but she didn’t give a shit.

“Who do you think you are?!” Sarina continued, her blood boiling. “You think you’re some fucking martyr?! Fuck you! Do you seriously think Noa wants his best friend in literal pieces?! Get your fucking act together!”

She couldn’t hold back the tears streaking down her cheeks and she fought to withhold her sobs. She was ranting, rambling. Rion was still sitting there, gaping at her while she yelled her heart out at him.

“Everyone’s so fucking worried about you and you’re diving headfirst into broken glass for fucking Noa! You think I don’t see through you?! Everything was always for Noa, wasn’t it?! Amber and everything else! That’s all you fucking think about! Noa! Noa! Noa! You seriously think people are going to believe that you just shoved Amber and her unborn baby in a bathtub with a blow dryer for no reason?! I don’t know howit’s related to Noa, but it’s all you ever fucking thinking about so it must have been about him!”

She could hear a voice behind her. Sarina was sure that there was a nurse at the door. She didn’t even care.

“What?” Rion said, his voice rising sharply to match hers. “What did you just say?”

“You fucking heard me!” she said. “I see right through you, you fucking dick! Fuck you! Fuck you! If you really care about Noa, you need to take better care of yourself! Do better!”

She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore. It was a torrent of words and anger and frustration.

“Miss!” the nurse in the doorway called out, her voice finally reaching Sarina’s ears. “Security is on their way!”

“I don’t give a shit! I’m leaving!” Sarina said.

“Wait!” Rion called out, desperation spiking in his voice. “Wait! Sarina–!”

“I’m not waiting for you!” she cried out. “Get better and stop worrying everyone around you! Stop putting yourself in fucked up situations! Get some fucking help, you psycho!”

She stormed out, walking in a hurry as she scrubbed tears from her face, sobs catching in her throat.