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Chapter Fifteen
Peyton
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It’s right after nineo’clock when I finally reach the address Abel sent me. Pulling up the long drive, my eyes widen as I reach the end that opens up to a huge house with so many windows it looks almost like a glass house.
My nervousness multiplies substantially as I pull off the side of the driveway behind a long line of cars and kill the engine.
Why did I think I could do this? Why did I think I could show up here and feel completely natural? Well, it doesn’t. Nothing about this feels natural. In fact, I feel so out of place I can barely pull in a steady breath.
Grabbing my phone off the passenger seat, I pull up Henna’s number and hit call.
It rings twice before her bubbly voice comes on the line, muted slightly by the loud hum of music and conversation going on around her.
“Hey. Where are you?” I ask, nervously picking at a spot on my steering wheel.
“At Sven’s. Where are you?”
“I’m outside.”
“You’re here?” she squeals, clearly happy about this fact.
“I am.”
“Then why aren’t you inside?”
“Because I’m scared to walk in by myself,” I admit in a moment of vulnerability.
“Peyton.” She sighs and I swear I can picture her rolling her eyes at me.
“Is he here?”
“Is who here?” she asks, but then answers her own question. “Abel?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, he’s here. I just saw him not too long ago with that Claire girl.”
“Claire’s here?”
“Yeah, she came with Abel.”
“Oh.” My heart crashes inside my chest. Welp, that answersthatquestion. He really was only inviting me to invite me. I try to push past the way that makes me feel and focus on Henna. “Are there a lot of people inside?”
“A ton. But it doesn’t feel crowded or anything because this place ishuge.” She over exaggerates the word. “Are you coming inside or what?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You drove all the way here.”
“I know, but now I’m thinking maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
“Why, because Claire’s here?” She reads me like a pro.
“Well that and I don’t really know anyone.”
“First off, I’m here. You don’t need to know anyone else. And second, don’t worry about Claire. She’s been hanging out with Nick all night. The two seem to be getting quite cozy.”
