Chapter 11 Seeing Tessa cry , Owen's heart ached . " Who told you that ? Whether Aria's here or not , you'll always be our sister . That won't ever change . Don't listen to nonsense - you'll always be the Whitmore family ' little princess . " Tessa shook her head , her expression still wounded . " But I'm scared . I'm sick , and I might not have much time left . Just thinking about you all carrying on happily while I'm gone , buried somewhere cold , it breaks my heart . " She closed her eyes painfully . " I know it's selfish , but I envy Aria so much . She has you all and she's healthy !" She tore herself from Owen's grip and fled upstairs . Owen chased after her , his brow furrowed with worry . " Stop saying that . I will find a way to heal you . You're not dying ." Chloe , looking equally anxious , rushed over too . She wrapped a comforting arm around Tessa . " Owen's right . Listen to your doctors , Tessa . You'll get through this . " So it was true , Aria thought bitterly . The squeaky wheel got the grease . She took one last bite of salmon . Sweet glaze coated the fish , but Chapter 11 all she tasted was sourness . Lucas suddenly whirled around , glaring at Aria . " How can you just sit there eating while Tessa's crying her eyes out ? Have you got no heart ? " Aria lifted her gaze , cool and detached . " What would you have me do , Lucas ? Should I starve myself and weep daily just because Tessa's sick ? Would that prove I have a conscience ? " ' In my previous life , she recalled , ' they called me childish when I fought Tessa . Now that I'm quiet , they say I'm heartless . It figured . To those determined to hate you , even breathing is a crime . Lucas froze . He'd lashed out without thinking . He had no real answer . Owen , ever the voice of reason , stepped in . " Tessa gets too worked up around you right now , Aria . Go back to your room !" The dismissal was expected , yet a sharp pang still shot through Aria's chest . They only cared that skipping meals might worsen Tessa's condition . But she was the one truly ill . Tessa was faking it all . Henry claimed Owen was a brilliant doctor , yet he couldn't spot such an obvious act . What a fraud . Chapter 11 Aria said nothing . She wiped her mouth with a napkin , walked to the calendar , and picked up the red marker beside it . With steady precision , she circled the number 8 . Another day was gone , twenty - two days left . She glanced back at the family huddled around Tessa . Once , she'd craved that kind of love , dreamed they might offer it to her too . But not anymore . Family meant nothing to her now . There was no point in hurting. Back in her room , Aria rested briefly before grabbing her pajamas and heading to the bathroom.The moment she turned on the shower , a wave of nausea and splitting pain slammed into her . Every cell screamed as if devoured by swarming insects - a living hell . She crumpled onto the cold tiles , her face deathly pale , lips bitten bloody . Wave after wave of agony crashed over her until , finally , darkness swallowed her . She woke sometime later , still alone on the bathroom floor . No one had come . No one cared . Weakly , she hauled herself up using the sink and stared into the mirror . Her lips were colorless , collarbones sharp against gaunt skin , her face a ghostly white . Dazed , she stumbled out , crawled Chapter 11 into bed , and pulled the covers tight . ' Why does it hurt this much ? ' she wondered . Just as her eyes drifted shut , the desk phone rang . An unknown number . Aria hesitated , then answered . A deep , resonant voice filled the line - Bennett's . " Be at Yealchinn Hospital , outpatient clinic , third floor , at nine tomorrow morning . Someone will escort you to Griffin ." His tone was calm yet brooked no argument . Lost in her thoughts , Aria only managed a faint , " Huh ? " " Don't be late . " The line went dead . Staring at the darkened screen , realization dawned . Monday . Bennett had arranged the specialist consultation . So , besides Juliet and Grandma , he - a man she'd met twice- wanted her alive , too . ' Should I go ? ' she wondered . Living longer just meant enduring more pain . But Bennett had gone to the trouble . Refusing would be rude . ' Fine . Just this once ! She called Juliet to ask for help excusing her from class .