AllFreeNovel
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Liv might have lost her mum when she was little, and Raine might have grown up in foster care, but it’s not the same. Because they found their place. They found their tribe. They found their person.
Tally’s phone vibrates and she smiles at the incoming message.
“Theo?” Liv asks, and she nods.
“They’re in town.”
Dread snakes through me. “They’re not?—”
The door chime tinkles as Oakley, Theo, and Reese pour inside, shaking off their jackets from the downpour.
“What are you doing here?” Liv asks, keeping one eye on me.
“We were passing through and wanted to say hi.” Oakley glances in my direction. “It’s good to see you up and about, Abs.”
I manage a weak smile, clutching my mug as if it’s my life raft.
“I know we’ve said it already but we’re so fucking sorry about your dad,” Theo adds.
“Thank you.”
I should be relieved that Elliot isn’t with them. But when Tally asks where he is, the atmosphere changes.
“He, uh… he had a thing.” Oakley’s gaze darts from me to the boys and back again.
“A thing?” Tally frowns. “What thing?”
“Nothing important.” He dismisses her, pulling a chair up to the table.
Reese and Theo follow suit, each sitting beside their girlfriends. Making it perfectly obvious that I’m the spare wheel.
The spare wheel that Elliot obviously wanted to avoid.
Disappointment curdles in my stomach.
“Did the girls ask you about our Easter getaway?” Oakley grins. “It’ll do you good to get out of town for a bit.”
“It’s sweet of you to invite me but I don’t think I’m ready.”
“Come on, Abs, it’ll be?—”
Tally elbows him in the ribs. “Don’t push her. There’s still time for her to change her mind. Right, Abs?”
“Right.” I offer them a tight smile.
“Will you be back in class next week?” Raine asks.
“Maybe.”
“You know we’ve got your back, Abs.” Reese gives me a small nod. “No one is going to say anything or upset you.”
“I know and I appreciate it, I do.”
It’s not that simple though. I’m used to being the brunt of people’s whispers and stares, I’ve lived it for years.
But just when I was finally finding my inner strength, my confidence to step out of the shadows, everything went to hell and once again, I’ve been swallowed up by the darkness.
And this time, I’m not sure I’ll be able to pull myself back out.
