“Like you and Alex were?”

Why did he have to make it so hard to lie to him? He and I could never be like Alex and I were—and hopefully would be again. But if I said that, I’d be right back where I was before. I nodded, unable to say the words out loud.

Chase laughed, but then his hand came slamming down on the door next to my head, making me flinch. “Come on, Jodi. How stupid do you think I am? You’re still in love with Alex. I can tell. You have no intention of falling for me. Not unless I make you. It looks like that’s exactly what I’m going to have to do.”

I tried to duck under his arm, but he grabbed me. The second his skin touched mine, I felt his power. It wasn’t poison like I’d been expecting. It was the energy I craved from him. He wasn’t trying to hurt me—at least not physically. Before I gave in to the power, I saw Jared and Lexi at the top of the stairs. Chase must have heard them coming, and now he was using his power to make it look like he and I were caught making out in the hallway. His lips were on mine in seconds, and without being able to stop myself, my arms were around his neck.

“Damn, Chase,” Lexi said, “I thought you had better taste.”

“Whatever, Lexi,” Jared said. “Way to go, man!” Jared must have thought Chase and I were making up.

They went to their rooms, and when both doors closed, Chase pulled away. “Why can’t you let us be this way all the time?”

I could’ve given him a slew of answers. He was evil. He was a manipulative prick. I wasn’t his little plaything. But the simplest answer, and the one I definitely couldn’t say, was he wasn’t Alex.

“Goodnight, Chase.” I reached for the knob, but he stopped me, taking my hand in his. His touch made my blood ripple under my skin.

“You sure you’re ready to say goodnight?” He moved in closer, and I almost gave in. Almost. But I saw Leticia’s door closing. She’d been watching us. I twisted the doorknob with my other hand and ducked into my room, locking the door behind me. I leaned against the door and relaxed my breathing. I pictured Alex’s face in my mind. He’d be here tomorrow. I could make it until then. Of course, having Alex here was only going to make all this harder on me. I was going to have to guard myself against Chase. I needed to block him, stop him from taking over my blood. I exhaled slowly, regaining control. My blood wasn’t surging anymore. I’d resisted the urge to give in to Chase. All thanks to Leticia. I hoped she’d seen everything. The way my mood changed so quickly. The way Chase looked like he wanted to kill me one minute, and make out with me the next. I hoped Leticia would figure it out. She wasn’t the most skilled Ophi, but she was smart.

Please, Leticia. I needed more people on my side. Before Chase took over my blood, and there was nothing left of me.

Chapter 22

Morning couldn’t come soon enough. I ran to the window and pushed back the curtains. The little girl in me had been hoping I’d catch a glimpse of Alex hiding in the woods, waiting to come rescue me. Life would be so much easier if those fairy tales they tell you as a kid were actually true. But in this scenario, I was the powerful one who was supposed to save the day. I’d saved Alex before. I didn’t mind being powerful. I loved it. But just once, it would’ve been nice to pretend I was a princess about to be saved by her prince.

“Jodi?” Arianna called from the other side of the door. “Are you awake?”

I went to the door and opened it a crack. I wanted to see if she was alone or if Chase had tricked her into getting me up so he could get his claws on me first thing.

She was alone.

“Yeah, come on in, Arianna.” I shut the door behind her and locked it again, which got me a wrinkled brow from Arianna.

“Trying to avoid someone?”

She was good. She knew I was having boy issues. “Kind of.”

“Sweetheart, listen to me. I know you’re still crazy about Alex, so why are you hanging all over Chase?”

My God, is that what it looked like to everyone else? He was chasing after me. Forcing me to be with him. Torturing me. But it came off as me hanging all over him?

“I’m not. I don’t like Chase like that. He’s—” If I told Arianna the truth, would she believe me? I still didn’t know if Leticia knew what was really happening. Maybe she saw the incident in the hall last night as me throwing myself at Chase. Ugh, the thought sickened me.

“Honey, you are torn. One minute you’re holding onto Chase for dear life, and the next you’re taking off. Don’t you see you’re clinging to Chase because Alex isn’t here?”

I wish. If things were that simple, they’d be fixed in a matter of hours, maybe minutes, when Alex showed up.

“Ari, things with Chase are very complicated. It’s hard to explain.”

“I can see that. Why are you hiding from him now?”

“I’m not hiding.” I opened my arms wide. “I’m in my room. It’s the first place he’d look. I’m just not ready to face him yet today.”

“Did you two have a fight?”

“You could say that.”

“Was it about Alex?”

“Somewhat.” I knew that she knew more than she was saying. “Did Leticia come to you? Did she say anything about last night?”

“No. I was in the library yesterday, and I checked the Internet log. Alex was logged in during lessons, and so were you. I’m wondering how that was possible. He’s not hiding out in the woodwork or anything, is he? Because my heart can’t take surprises like that.”

“No.” I couldn’t help smiling. I wished Alex had been hiding out here all this time. “I logged in under Alex’s name. I was trying to find out where he went.”

“Did you?”

I hated that I couldn’t completely trust Arianna, but giving away anything about yesterday was too risky. “Not really. Arianna, please don’t tell Chase about this.”

“Chase was under the impression you left before lessons.”

“I know.” I had a feeling Tony had mentioned finding me in the library and hiding me from Chase. It looked like Arianna and I were both tiptoeing around information we didn’t want the other to know.

She reached for my hand. “I know I’m not your mother, Jodi, but you can talk to me. If Chase does anything to you that scares you or makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me.”

Everything Chase did scared me and made me uncomfortable. “Thanks,” I said.

She looked like she wanted to say more, and I couldn’t help wondering about Abby and Lexi’s father. Had he been abusive? Arianna had already told me he was evil. Was she trying to reach out to me because she’d been in my shoes? She exhaled a shaky breath. “Sometimes even the strongest Ophi needs a little help. All you have to do is ask.”

That was all I needed to hear. I didn’t know Abby and Lexi’s father, but in that moment, I hated him. He’d hurt Arianna. She turned to leave. “Ari.” She looked over her shoulder at me. “You’re the best second mother I could’ve asked for. Abby and Lexi have no idea how lucky they are.”

I meant it. Even though I had to hide things from her, I still loved that she was willing to do anything for me—and the others. She was an amazing mother to all of us.

“That means a lot.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she left.

I got dressed and ready for breakfast. Every time I heard a noise in the hall, I expected Chase to come knocking at my door. He’d left almost too easily last night. I was sure he wasn’t happy with me slipping away like I had, and I was even more sure he was going to make me pay for it.

Finally, the knock came at my door. It had to be him. I slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I couldn’t remember if I’d locked my bedroom door after Arianna left. I waited a few seconds before peeking out the bathroom door that led to the hallway. Chase wasn’t there. That meant he was probably in my room and the bathroom would be his next stop. I slipped out, running into Lexi.