AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Heaven forbid I speak my mind and tell him to go to Hell.
I know it’s not fair.
At least he was honest with me. Honest about what he wanted. How he pictured his future. At least he told me before it went too far. Before I could fall for him any more than I already had. Before I gave myself a chance to hope I could be accepted, could be loved. At least he told me the truth.
A bit of my iciness melts, and I bite the inside of my cheek, shifting the tray of goo from one hand to the other. A few strands of hair stick to my forehead, and I wipe them away with the back of my hand, desperate to escape this conversation as quickly as possible. “I should probably get back to work, so…”
He tucks his hands into his front pockets as his attention drifts down my body. “You look good, Kate.”
I snort, holding back tears while dropping my gaze to my soiled shirt. And I don’t know if it’s the compliment, the shitty day, or my frayed emotions, but I laugh. “Liar.”
“I’m serious.”
“Yeah, okay. I think we’ve had enough chitchat for tonight. I gotta get back to work. Goodnight, Wes.” I start to walk past him, but he steps in front of me.
“You okay, Kate?”
“Like I said,fantastic,” I repeat. My tone oozes sarcasm as whatever semblance of understanding from our past dissipates into thin air. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I turn on my heel and head back to the kitchen.
So much for tonight ending on a good note.
7
KATE
“Thanks again for picking me up,” I tell Mia as I close the passenger door with a loudthunk,the last of my energy seeping out of me. I’m beyond thankful I didn’t have to take the bus. That’s something, right?
“Sure thing. You’re lucky my shift ended early.” She glances at me and gasps, noticing the caramel-colored stain plastered across my entire torso. “Whoa. What happened to your shirt?”
“Decided to swim in Diet Coke.”
With a laugh, understanding dawns on her. “Been there.”
As she pulls out of the parking lot, I unlock my phone and check my messages. I wasn’t kidding when I scolded Hazel for using her cell at work. Anna is a stickler for those things, which means I need to catch up on everything I’ve missed, including three texts from Mom and one from Dad.
Mom
Hey! It’s ten o’clock. Did you take your medicine yet?
My stomach falls as I read her message.
Oh, no.
I forgot to pick it up, and now, it’s too late. The pharmacy’s closed. My body tenses as I fight the urge to hit something, throw my phone, or just…scream. I close my eyes, count to ten, and attempt to rein in my temper before I read her next message. I already know what it’ll say.
Mom
Hey. I know you’re busy, but it’s getting late. Will you please let me know you remembered your meds so I can get some sleep tonight?
Hey, baby! Sorry to be a pain. Just worried. Message me back, okay?
Daddy
You’re freaking your mom out. Will you please answer her text?
Groaning, I click my phone off, settle back into my seat, and lean my head against the headrest. I can’t believe I didn’t remember to pick up my meds from the pharmacy. I shouldn’t forget. I know I shouldn’t. But I did. And admitting as much to my mother, even though she insisted I pick up my meds from the pharmacy as soon as I woke up this morning, will only stress her out. I’m already burnt out enough, thank you very much. No need to fan the flames.
A couple extra pills should be in a Ziploc bag in my backpack, so it’ll be fine. And if not? Screw it. What’s one more seizure to add to the books? It’s not like I’m guaranteed to have a seizure if I miss a single dose. Still, Dr. Reed has pointed out how I’m surprisingly sensitive to my prescription, and consistency is key. I shiver, almost hearing his voice in my head as I replay my last scolding at my follow-up appointment after I visited the ER a few weeks ago.
