Nights Burn With Regret — by Nathan Perez 157
Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Riley
Nora sat curled up on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees like she was trying to hold herself together. Her teeth were biting down hard on her finger, leaving red marks, a nervous habit she always did when she knew she was screwed. Her eyes were wide and empty, staring into nothing as if haunted by something only she could see.
For a second, I honestly wondered if she could still hear us or if her mind had completely shattered back at school.
“Nora, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Why are you trembling like this” my mother asked again, her voice rising with panic. She crouched down in front of Nora, shaking her a little, but Nora didn’t even blink.
My mother turned to my father. “Honey, I’ve been asking her over and over if she’s okay, but she won’t answer. You’re a doctor, do you think something is wrong with her? If something happens to her, Matthew might blame us.”
My father stepped forward and laid his palm across Nora’s forehead, frowning. “Her temperature is normal. Her breathing is fast but stable. Physically, she seems fine.” He studied her pale face, then asked, “What happened? Where exactly was she today?”
My mother froze, her eyes flicking away guiltily. Of course she didn’t want to say it. If my father found out she knew about their little scheme, he would explode.
I sat there with my own anxiety twisting in my stomach, my fingers tangled in my hair. My pulse hammered painfully against my ribs.
From the moment I woke up, I’d had this awful feeling, telling me everything would go wrong. I didn’t know exactly what had happened at school, but the way Nora had walked into our house earlier, silent, shaking, looking like a ghost, told me everything I needed to know.
It didn’t go the way she planned.
I warned Nora a thousand times not to mess with Violet. There was something terrifying about that girl now. Violet was no longer someone we could toy with, the more we provoked her, the worse our situation would become. But they wouldn’t listen. Nora went as far as framing Violet, claiming she slept with men for money, and my mother even helped with the plan.
And now here we were.
I should have stopped her. I should have forced her not to provoke Violet, not to push her further.
I stared at her trembling shoulders, unable to hold back any longer.
“I warned you.”
Both my parents snapped their heads toward me.
“What did you say?” my father asked.
“Riley, stop,” my mother said quickly, cutting me off. Her voice was firm, almost desperate. She shook her head slightly at me, her eyes warning. “Don’t say anything.”
I ignored my mother, my eyes locked on Nora. “Didn’t I warn you, Nora? I warned you not to mess with Violet. I told you she is not the same girl we used to bully. She is dangerous, and unpredictable. One wrong move, and she could destroy everything we’ve ever had. One small mistake, and she could ruin us for good.”
My voice rose into a shout before I could stop myself. “Why don’t you ever fucking listen?!”
21:13 Tue, Jan 13
Chapter 157
Nora flinched violently at my outburst, her shoulders jerking as if I’d struck her. She finally looked at me, her eyes glassy and terrified, before quickly looking away again. Her lips trembled, and when she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I-I didn’t think she changed that much,” she said shakily. “If I had known, do you really think I would’ve done this?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, streaking her pale face. She hugged herself tighter, as if trying to keep herself from falling apart.
“Why are you even yelling at me, Riley?” she cried. “Do you even know what I went through today?”
“That doesn’t change anything,” I snapped. “You should have listened to me and left her alone.”
“My reputation is ruined!” she shouted. “I can’t show my face at school again, and it’s only a matter of time before Matthew finds out what I did. Everything I worked for, everything I wanted, is gone. All of it! And it’s all because of a bitch like her!” Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms. “Do you know how unfair that is?”
I stared at her, my anger faltering for a second, replaced by a sinking feeling.
What exactly had Violet done to her? How far had things gone today for Nora to be this terrified?
“Stop it, both of you! Enough yelling.” My father’s deep voice cut through the tension.
The room fell silent instantly.
He straightened and looked at us one by one, his gaze sharp, before finally landing on my mother.
“Someone is going to tell me what happened,” he said coldly. “Instead of shouting and crying, tell me what you did. What did you people do?”
My mother swallowed hard and forced an awkward, nervous laugh. “W-we didn’t do anything big, honey,” she said quickly. “The kids were just playing around. It’s nothing serious. Friends sometimes fight.”
“Don’t mess with me,” my father snapped, his patience snapping thin. “Say it straight. I’ve got enough to deal with without this nonsense. What happened with Violet? Did you do something to her again?”
“Of course not.” My mother opened her mouth again, clearly scrambling for words, but I cut her off.
“Yes, they did something to her. Nora and Mom framed her, saying she slept with older men for money and attention.”
My father froze, eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to process what he had just heard.
“Riley!” my mother shouted, panic flashing in her eyes.
“What, Mom?” I shot back, my voice shaking but resolute. “You’ve ignored me every single time I told you something was wrong. I told you Violet isn’t the same anymore. I told you she’s changed. If you won’t listen, then fine. I won’t sit here and wait for everything to fall apart.”
I took a shaky breath, my eyes drifting back to Nora.
“Id
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21:13 Tue, Jan 13
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