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Chapter Seventeen
Lily
“Can I come in?”I peeked around Peyton’s door. She was in her oversized Raiders hoodie, sprawled in the middle of the bed staring up at the ceiling.
“I’m not good company right now.”
“You think that matters to me.” Slipping into her room, I closed the door and crawled onto the bed tucking myself into her side. “I’m worried about you.”
“You don’t need to be, I’m fine.”
“That might work with my parents, but it doesn’t fly with me.” I side-eyed her. “I know you, Peyton Myers.”
She released a long, shaky breath, as if she was purging herself of her pain. “Just when I was finally feeling settled… I don’t want to go back to her… to that.”
“Maybe you won’t have to. My dad said—”
“I know what your dad said, Lil. And I love him for it, I do. But she’s my mom. She doesn’t have anybody else.”
“Well, she’s clean, right? That’s a good thing. Maybe this time—”
“Don’t do that. Don’t say maybe this time is the last time… do you know how many times I’ve hoped that it was? How many times I’ve watched her get clean then fall back into old habits?” She rolled on her side and I did the same. “Sometimes, I think it would be easier if she just did it, OD’d and never woke up. Then at least I wouldn’t live with this constant pit in my stomach wondering if today is going to be the day, ya know?”
I didn’t.
My parents loved me. Sure, they smothered me sometimes, but they were always there for me and my sister. Jason and Felicity Ford were as solid as parents came.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, holding out my pinky finger.
“Yeah, me too.” She hooked it with hers. “I love you, babe.”
“I love you too, Peyton. And I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but it’s senior year, baby. Everything will work itself out.”
“Who are you right now and what did you do with my conservative, shy, yet wonderful best friend?”
My lip curved as I tried to smother a smile.
“Lily… What. Happened?”
“You swear you won’t tell anyone?”
“Pinky promise.” She shook our hands. “It’s about Kaiden, right? Oh, tell me it’s about Kaiden.”
“We made out… at the party.”
“You what? Lil, this is freaking huge. Good for you, girl.”
“That’s not all…” Heat flooded my cheeks. “We uh… I… there was some clothed dry humping.”
“Lily Ford, you dirty dog.” She grinned, and I buried my face in my hands. “No, babe. This is a good thing. A fucking great thing. And Kaiden is so sexy and surly… I bet he’s a real—”
“Enough.” My hand shot out, covering her mouth. “You can’t tell anyone. I mean it, Peyton. If this gets back to Dad…” A shudder ripped through me. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if he ever found out.
“Relax, your secret is safe with me. So… when are you seeing him again?”
“I don’t know… we didn’t swap numbers.”
Why hadn’t we swapped numbers?
