AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod, worry clouding my thoughts. Mr. and Mrs. Bryson are putting Josh square in the middle of their divorce drama.
Vanessa gets up from her seat, heading toward a quieter spot in the coffee shop to talk to her brother.
About ten minutes later, Vanessa returns, her face pale, her hands squeezing her cell phone in a death grip. I immediately push my chair back, standing. “What’s wrong, girl?”
She squeezes my arm. “Irelynn, I’m so sorry, but I need to leave. Josh is sick of mom and her boyfriend and he’s trying to run away to our grandparents. First, he wanted to take one of mom’s cars, though he doesn’t have a license, and I talked him out of that. Then he wanted to take public transportation from Allendale to Cape May…” Her hand impatiently runs through her brunette locks, pushing them from her face. “It’s too dangerous.” Her pained eyes lock on mine, worry mixing with fear.
“Vanessa, take a deep breath. I agree with you. Why don’t you take me back to the apartment? You can leave from there and jump on the highway. I will wait until tomorrow to get my textbooks, so we can go together.”
She immediately shakes her head. “I’m not sure what time I can leave tomorrow, and the bookstore may be closed by the time I return.” She sighs, her hand going through her hair. “Plus, I know you want to read the first couple chapters for your Monday classes. Go ahead and get your books today. I can get mine Monday morning.”
I nod. “Do you need me to get your books? That will give you one less thing to worry about.”
Vanessa gives me a grateful smile and digs in her purse. “That would be great.” She pulls out her wallet, handing me her credit card. “Here. Use this and buy your books, too.”
“Vanessa, I can’t—”
She cuts me off, waving her hand dismissively. “Yes, you can. My family has plenty of money.” Putting her wallet away, she grabs her phone. “I’m texting you a pic of my schedule. Just get my books for my Monday classes. Don’t worry about anything else.”
My phone beeps. “Got it. Now let’s go.”
We grab our trash, toss it in the trash can, then exit the coffee shop, hurrying to Vanessa’s car.
As Vanessa races through town to our apartment, I send up a silent prayer.
Please, don’t let Josh go off and do anything stupid.It would destroy her if something happened to him.
Chapter four
Irelynn
August25,2018,3:00p.m.
Waving to Vanessa as she pulls away, I worry my lip between my teeth. Vanessa and Josh are the nicest people and don’t deserve the shit they are going through. Of course, that seems to be the way of the world—good people get screwed.
Just like my brother, Mike. One of the best people I’ve ever known, aside from my parents. And the night he was planning to propose to his fiancée, he was killed in a car accident.
Shaking my head, I push the memories away, not wanting the grief to well up inside me, taking me to a dark place, as it often does when I think about my brother.
Focus on something else. Something happier.
Replaying my conversation with Vanessa in the coffee shop, a grin pulls up my lips as I think back to the first day she and I met.
My roommate, Celine the drama queen, as I had nicknamed her, sprayed her perfume inside my open bag of peanut M&Ms because I yelled at her for smoking in our room. Smoking wasprohibitedanywhere inside the residence halls.
For a couple of weeks, I had been going to the resident assistant, then the resident director, reporting all of Celine’s crazy behavior, trying to transfer to another room. They told me it wasn’t possible at that time and had no idea when a room may open.
Crying from frustration, I fled to the vending machine, needing some sugar to study for my biology exam.
Misery overwhelmed me as I studied my options through tear-filled eyes. Gathering my class materials and going to the library seemed my only option because I sure as hell couldn’t study in my room. Celine had cut the crotch out of five pairs of my underwear the night before, and I was sorely tempted to shave her head in retaliation. But I was afraid I’d only end up in trouble.
Vanessa saw me crying as she came out of her room, on her way to get a coffee. Putting her hand on my shoulder, her green eyes were full of sympathy and concern when she asked me what was wrong. With tears streaking my face, I confessed to having the roommate from hell, but couldn’t switch rooms because there weren’t any vacancies.
Vanessa raised her brows. “Your roommate can’t be worse than mine?”
“Wanna bet? Mine just doused my Peanut M&Ms with her perfume because I told her to stop smoking in our room.”
“Oh, God. And I thought mine was bad for trimming her toenails and putting the pieces in plastic baggies.” She winced, shaking her head. “You need more sugar and caffeine than what is in that vending machine. Let’s go to the coffee shop for a coffee… or two.” She winked, her smile growing wide. “Do you like frozen mochas?” She crossed her arms, leaning against the vending machine, perfect white teeth on display. She exuded a calming demeanor with her warm smile, putting me at ease.
