Tainted Bond by Ellabee Andrews

They say blood is thicker than water, and if you’ve ever tasted it cold, you know that’s true. Warm and from the source, it’s like the sweetest nectar, but cold, it takes on a tangy flavor that I can hardly stomach.
But the bonds of friendship are different; they’re not like blood or water. But more like sand in a bowl, a single crack caused by a kept secret causes the grains to slip through. I didn’t even realize it had happened, as one or two lost grains aren’t noticeable, but eventually, the sand ran out and I was left with nothing but a shell of regret.
When the last grain fell, all I could do was face the madness of my making, discover who was truly on my side, and learn the hard way there is more than one type of mask people wear.
Bonds will be tested, deceptions unlike any ever imagined uncovered, and in the middle of it all, I can do nothing but fight to keep living.
Unfortunately, not everyone I love is fighting for the same.