Delilah's POV
"Just looking out for my friends," Mateo said easily, like he was doing everyone a favor. "Theo deserves to know what he's dealing with before he catches something from trash like her."
Trash.
The word hit harder than all the others combined, and something inside me cracked.
I stood there with my face burning and my hands shaking while surrounded by people who moments ago had been praising my work, who'd made me feel welcome and included and like I might actually belong. Theo had moved back another step, putting clear distance between us now, and the warmth in his eyes had been replaced with wariness.
Stella opened her mouth like she might say something, then closed it again while looking away. Cara busied herself with papers that didn't need organizing. Even Margaret, w
