Page 95 of Don't Think

She huffs. “That makeszerosense.”

I let out a shaky breath, a bitter laugh slipping through. “I spent eight years trying to feel like I was enough—”

“Oh, don’t start with the Trevor shit,” she cuts in. “It’s really getting old, Allie.”

My mouth falls open. I can’t speak. I can’t evenlookat her.

“Are you serious right now?” My voice is hoarse, barely there.

She presses her lips together and nods. “I’ve listened to you cry over him for the past two years, Allie. And then you just jump into bed with Jax? You clearly couldn’t have been that heartbroken,” she says with a shrug.

I stare at her, stunned. “I stopped crying ayearago, Nora. It’s beentwoyears,” I shout, my voice cracking, throat burning. “And you don’t get to point fingers at me whenyou’rethe one who slept with Gareth on thefirst night. Threemonthsafter Michael walked out!”

The bile’s rising again, flooding my mouth with that awful pre-vomit heat, but I try to force it down like everything else.

“Youknowthat’s not how it went down!”

Swallowing doesn’t help anymore. It’s rising too fast now. That burning, acidic taste already hitting the back of my throat. I try breathing through my nose and instantly regret it, catching a sour mix of alcohol and cigarette smoke from the small crowd that we’ve apparently gathered.

“I was drunk, okay?” she snaps. “Michael might’ve left three months ago, but—”

Oh no…

“Nora,” I choke out, my breath catching as the sidewalk suddenly shifts under my feet and everything starts spinning.

“What!”

But I can’t answer. My hand clamps over my mouth as I bolt to the nearest trash can. I barely make it before I’m hunched over, heaving so hard it feels like my ribs might crack. Everything in my stomach empties all at once.

Footsteps rush up behind me, and then I feel a warm hand on my back.

I glance sideways and—of course—it’s Jax.

“Hey, you okay, love?” he asks softly, kneeling beside me. He pulls a hair tie from his pocket, quickly ties my hair back, and rubs slow circles on my lower back.

Then all I hear is Nora laughing behind me. And suddenly, all I want is for the sidewalk to just open up and swallow me whole.

“You better hope you didn’t knock her up,” she spits. Then, under her breath—but just loud enough for me to hear—“Just gonna be another part-time baby for her to pass off.”

That’s it. That’s about all I can take.

She could’ve called me a whore. A slut. A terrible friend. And I would’ve taken it—hell, maybe I even deserve it. But this?

To say Ipass offmy daughters? After everything I’ve done? After all the support she’spretendedto give me these last two years?

I don’t even want to defend myself. I just want to go home.

Jax’s hand slips off my back. I hear his footsteps shift quickly.

But before he can say anything, Ana’s voice cuts in. “Hey, quick question,” she calls out, just a few feet to my left. “Are youfucking kidding me?”

I push myself up from the trash can, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Reaching out, I grab Jax’s arm. He stops right away, turning toward me.

I shake my head slowly, murmuring, “It’s okay. Just leave it.”

His brow furrows, and then he lets out a loud, bitter snarl. “No. Fuckthat, Allie.You don’t deserve any of that.”