Shattered Girls (Broken Dolls Book 2) Read Free Page A

suppose. But I don’t like living a lie.”
    Chris pulls a handkerchief from his sleeves and wipes his nose. “A lie? What lie?”
    I stop. What am I thinking? I can’t go telling a stranger I’m a human who chose to be a doll. It’s easier if he just believes I’m a robot.
    “Ella?” he says when I don’t respond. “What lie?”
    “Nothing,” I say. No way would I betray Gabby like this.
    He hums an unrecognizable tune. “Ella, do you think I could question your mechanics? It’s quite extraordinary how you operate.”
    “Ah, I don’t know about that stuff. They programmed me not to know so I don’t go tugging at a wire or something. I really should leave, Mr. Chris.”
    “Pity that! Do you need a lift back to class, little one?”
    “No, thank you. I’m exploring.”
    He stands and grins. “What a remarkable girl you are. Take care, Ella. I’m sure we will meet again.”
    On my tiptoes, I wave goodbye as he exits the school. I smile wistfully and continue down the halls.
    What a nice man.



Five Years Later
    used to like watching the sunsets on the beach. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for my freedom, but it’s not fun anymore. How can it be, when Gabby curls her knees to her chest and sobs for half an hour? Nobody should be sad on their sixteenth birthday.
    “Gabby?” I rest my hands on her knee. I can’t believe she’s sixteen. Her cheeks are narrower, her hair is shorter, and her voice is maturing. She tries to make me age with her, but I don’t know why. Every March 31st, she wishes me a Happy Birthday and paints my face to look slightly older. She detaches my limbs and replaces them with longer ones, but I’m probably only an inch taller after five years.
    Her phone vibrates in the sand, lighting up her face. She reluctantly answers, hitting loudspeaker so I can listen.
    “Maddox?” She croaks. “Everything okay?”
    “No. No, it freaking isn’t! Chelsea didn’t come home from school today. Have you seen her?”
    Chelsea? I gasp. Maddox’s little sister is a real sweetheart—cheeky, and a little slow, but I like her.
    “Holy crap, are you serious? No, I haven’t. Can I do something?”
    “No. No, just… look, I know we don’t talk much anymore since that formal
―
”
    “—the formal where Wyatt convinced you to make out with me? The formal where you distracted me as Angela threw a bucket of mud on me while Sasha filmed it? The formal that destroyed the dress that belonged to my grandmother? Hmm… nah, that formal doesn’t ring a bell…”
    “God, do you have to be such a jerk about everything?! Fine. You know what? Be that way. Just…just let me know if you see her. Please.”
    Gabby refuses to respond. I point at the phone to remind her that it’s her turn to speak, just in case she’s silently suffering from memory lapse or something. Instead, she throws the phone as far as she can. It skips along the sand and lands just shy of the tide.
    “Well, that was a silly thing to do.” I chase after it. When I reach it, I heave it back to Gabby, the hike long and tedious. Thank goodness I’m a doll because that would’ve been a serious workout. “Don’t throw expensive things around! And don’t just hang up on someone. That’s so rude. You’re the one who just stopped talking to him, remember? You stopped talking to everyone…”
    “Go play, Ella.” Gabby sniffs, wiping away tears. “Make up some new choreography.”
    “I don’t feel like dancing today.” I climb into her lap when she stretches out her legs. “Just because I’m dressed in a multicolored tutu doesn’t mean I
always
want to dance. I’m allowed days off!”
    Gabby doesn’t respond; instead she hiccups and strokes my bun.
    “Could we
please
go to Denny’s?” I bat my eyelashes. “It’s your birthday. We need to do something!”
    “No.”
    “Is it Maddox?”
    “It’s… it’s everything, all right? My parental units are too busy to spend time with me. Do they hate me?