Chapter 3

Runa walked to the bedside, eyes red-rimmed, looking like a frightened rabbit. "Molly, I'm so sorry. It's all Snowy's fault for running off. That's why you and Cohen fought."

Snowy was her cat.

I leaned against the headboard, staring at her without expression. "Leave the flowers. Get out."

Runa bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. "Molly, don't be so harsh. Cohen got suspended because of you, and he didn't sleep a wink last night.

"I know you're mad at me, but could you stop playing games with Cohen's future?"

I let out a cold laugh. "He brought this on himself. What does that have to do with me?"

Runa set the white lilies on my nightstand. Then she dropped the pitiful act entirely.

She leaned in close, lowering her voice to a venomous whisper. "Molly, you're pretty impressive yourself. Alone in the wilderness with a strange man in a cave all night. I heard your clothes were torn."

She covered her mouth and let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Honestly, Molly, how could you be so indiscreet?

"A girl's reputation is everything. Cohen hates girls who don't know how to respect themselves."

I looked at that face, hypocrisy dripping from every pore.

Without a second thought, I grabbed the glass of water on the nightstand and threw it in her face.

Runa shrieked, clutching her face and reeling backward several steps.

Water streamed down her hair onto her white dress, making her look utterly pathetic.

Just then, the hospital room door was flung open. Cohen rushed in, carrying a thermos.

He instantly saw Runa, soaked to the bone and shaking all over.

Without thinking, he dropped the thermos and hurried over, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her. "Runa, are you okay?"

Runa collapsed into his arms, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. "Cohen, I came to say sorry to Molly. I know she hates me, but the water was freezing."

Cohen whipped around, glaring at me. "Molly, you're out of line. Runa came here with good intentions. Why are you taking it out on her?"

Seeing that he instinctively stood up for Runa, the last flicker of hope in my heart was snuffed out for good.

I calmly pulled my phone from under my pillow, unlocked it, and hit play.

The second Runa had walked through that door, I'd started recording.

Runa's biting, nasty voice filled the hospital room. "I heard your clothes were torn. A girl's reputation is everything. Cohen hates girls who don't know how to respect themselves."

Cohen froze.

Runa's crying stopped dead, her face turning white as a sheet. She reached out, trying to grab Cohen's wrist. "Cohen, listen to me, I can explain. I didn't mean it like that."

Cohen looked down at her in his arms, his face a storm of conflicting feelings.

I didn't spare them another glance. "Cohen, did you hear how Runa apologized? My reputation isn't up for debate with a snake like her."

I pointed at the door. "Now. Take your precious little angel in white, and get the hell out of my world."

Cohen pushed Runa aside.

He strode over to my bed, reaching for my phone. "Molly, what Runa did was wrong. She's just a kid. She doesn't know any better. Just delete the recording, okay? Don't blow this up any further."

I shoved his hand away and threw off the covers, ready to get out of bed. "You almost got me killed. I nearly died. What do I care about making a scene?"

I dragged my duffel out from under the bed and started throwing my things in.

Cohen panicked when he saw me leaving.

He grabbed my bag, eyes red-rimmed. "Molly, where are you going? Your leg isn't healed. The doctor said you need to stay for observation."

I yanked my duffel bag back. "I'm transferring to a hospital without you two."

Cohen flinched as if I had struck him. He blocked the doorway and completely lost it, screaming in my face, "You're going to Howard, aren't you?

"If you leave with him today, we're finished for good."