Chapter Twenty-Four ~ Marionettes-1

"Everything is a contract to Penelope," Ella continued. "From her agent to her photographers to her supposed boyfriend." "What?" I felt like I'd just been dipped in ice. Penelope had been insane to hire someone to stalk her boyfriend, yeah, but literally hiring her boyfriend to begin with? It was one crazy contract after another. "It started in high school. She wanted a hot boy to pose with for her Instagram pics. Think about it. He's a man of few words, he was a star baseball player, and popular. The perfect paper boyfriend." "How do you know he's not just saying that?" She cocked a brow. "Because he showed me proof. The contract." "Wait, isn't Cole's family rich? Why would he need money from her?" She shook her head. "The Kensington's aren't really rich. But Poppy and Cole are." "Poppy's in on it too?" For a moment, her eyes softened from their hard focus, and the crazy energy she'd had dissolved. "I'm pretty sure Poppy is oblivious." "So she has you, me, and Cole as her pawns," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "There's more." Another thing clicked. I didn't need to question it. He'd been defending Cole's actions from the start. "Felix." "He was her photographer in high school. And Cole's best friend. She had them both. And then, because she's a crazy bitch who can't find them on her own, she paid Jada to be her friend." "Jada?" Ella nodded. "It was literally her perfectly created friendship circle. Jada and Poppy were already friends. Poppy's twin was dating her. Poppy got roped into Penelope's game. And now, seeing as Penelope's manipulation payed off and she's jet-setting the world, her toys are here misbehaving. Hence, us." "Shit," I said slowly. It made sense. It would make Penelope paranoid enough for us to watch over Cole. If they were never even dating, then of course he'd want to date someone else in secret. I suddenly felt sorry for Jada and Cole. They weren't betraying Penelope by being together. They were being together in spite of Penelope. "And Cole just told you all of this?" "He's been trying to get out of it all year," Ella said. "Apparently Penelope's money supply is enough to extend to lawyers and corrupt cops." "But what can she do, like, physically? They're not going to arrest someone for failing to pretend to be a good boyfriend." Ella shrugged. "That may be so, but it's scared them into submission for all this time." "Shit," I said again. This was so much worse than I thought. "You should have let me just play that video last night," Ella said. "Maybe the world would have known how fake she really was if they saw her boyfriend and best friend getting it on." I shook my head. "It'd only make it worse. Do Cole and Jada really deserve that?" "To be free? Sure," Ella said. "The thing is, I still think they could be. All Penelope has to do is dump him. Then she wouldn't need to keep him under control. Not any of us." "Penelope is too dangerous," I said. "I don't think you realize the damage she could do. She knows things about us we probably haven't even thought of." "Look, I know she messed you up last night, but what about Felix? What about Cole and Jada? Don't you want revenge?" Revenge was tempting. Of course it was. But what were we going to do? Penelope probably had a handful of countermoves ready to go. She'd proven that last night. "You've already lost everything, right?" The money. Felix. None of that could matter anymore. Ella was right. My bed was cold when I returned. My mind was spinning with the news—it felt like I'd lived in some weird social experiment the last six weeks. Maybe that's what this really was, some black mirror episode where everyone is controlled. Penelope's greatest fear was losing control over the people in her life. I figured she had to be pretty scared to keep all these people around who didn't care about her. I knew from the start she was in a toxic place, but I thought that was from a rocky relationship, not this level of insecurity. She was an only child born into a ridiculously rich family, but she must have struggled to make friends. It must be lonely. To have everything between her and those she was supposed to care about be a lie. But, I guess, I was the same. I'd lied to Felix this whole time, and he might just be the only person I'd ever felt this way about. I'd really blown it. It was starting to rain outside, and I straightened so I could watch the fat droplets run down my window. Maybe I'd get out of here and find somewhere better to live. Work harder to find a job that was actually legitimate. Or even just stay here and accept the fact I didn't deserve any better. I wondered if Felix and Paisley had made up. After all, she'd broken his heart. He must have loved her. And if she didn't really cheat on him, what reason did he have to even hear me out? As if my thoughts were enough to conjure him, my phone began vibrating and his name appeared on the screen. I jumped to my feet, staring at it for a few long moments before it rang out. Crap, why hadn't I picked it up? The answer to that was easy. I was a coward. Bullshit you're a coward, the other half of my mind argued. I shook off my desire to give in and called him back. "Josie." He said my name as a sigh rather than a greeting. "Hi," I replied. My voice was small. The line was silent for a little while. "Can we talk?" I looked out into the darkness again. I'd only just come back from talking with Ella, and I was supposed to be at class tomorrow. But showing up and seeing him tomorrow before we had the chance to talk was even more daunting. "Alright."