I wrapped my arms around him, silencing his next words with my lips. It was a kiss I’d dreamed of for months and months—it was what I needed more than anything in the entire world, the one thing that held the power to make everything okay. Every gibe, every taunt, every horrible note, and all my jealousy faded away to nothing. Ash’s mouth tasted of breath mints, but when he tried to loosen my grip on him I held on, not ready to let the moment end. But then I heard a creak on the landing, and a high-pitched, disbelieving voice rang out.

“What the... Ash?”

We spun around, both of us startled by Celine, who now stood in my bedroom doorway, the goddamn sparkling butterfly necklace Ash had given her hanging between her perfect breasts. She stared at us, eyes wide, mouth open, before turning and thundering down the hallway.

“Celine,” Ash yelled, shoving me to one side. “Wait. It’s not what you think.”

I wanted to ask him what he was talking about. Our kiss had to have meant as much to him as it had to me. He loved me. He’d said so before I kissed him. It was why I’d kissed him. I followed him out onto the landing. He’d stopped Celine at the top of the stairs and stood a few feet away from her, holding up his hands, backing away.

“Don’t touch me,” she shouted, tears streaming down her face. “How could you?”

“It’s not what you think,” he said. “I’d never do that to you. Not with her, not with anyone. She’s just a kid, she’s my stepsister. I love you, Celine, please. Maya was confused.”

I opened my mouth to shout at him, tell him he was wrong, that I wasn’t a child, that I loved him, but no words came out.

Celine looked past Ash, her face full of loathing. “You weren’t confused at all, were you, Maya? You knew exactly what you were doing. You brotherfucker.”

“Don’t call her that,” Ash shouted, grabbing her arm.

“Get off me.” Celine shook him off hard, her momentum forcing her backward, and as she put a foot behind her, it slid on the bunched-up stair runner, making her slip off the top step.

I saw her arms flail, watched as she tried to save herself by attempting to regain her balance. Her hands reached for the banister but grasped only air. Ash lunged forward but he was too late. Celine let out a piercing shriek before toppling backward, bumping down the steep stairs, two, three at a time, a mass of chocolate locks and tumbling limbs. Her head reached the tiled floor at the bottom first, where it made a loud crack, but instead of getting up as I expected her to, she lay there, legs bent, arms outstretched, immobile and still.