Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Avery starts to shut the door again, but I hold it open with a strong hand, turning back to Beau, my eyes pleading. “Beau, please. Give us time to talk. Your being here is only making it worse.”
“I’m here because I’m part of it,” he contests, and my chest twists.
“I know. But please, give us some space.”
He studies me for a long, aching moment before walking to his condo and unlocking the door. When it shuts behind him, I feel the vibration crack against my heart. God, this is awful, and it’s all my fault. Beau was ready to tell them the truth, but I kept delaying it. And now, he probably feels just as bad as I do right now. But I don’t know how to carry on from here if Avery and I can’t fix what I’ve broken.
I push through the door as soon as Avery shows signs of letting me and shut it behind us as she walks over to the couch, slumps down, and crosses her arms over her chest.
I start again with an apology, though, I know that in and of itself won’t make this better.
“I’m sorry, Avery. I’m sorry for being the kind of person I wouldn’t want as my own friend, let alone yours.”
She chuffs. I keep going.
“I lied and I snuck around, and I did it knowing it would hurt you.” I shake my head. “I’ve…I’ve always been into Beau. Even way before I had any business seeing him as anything of the sort, and all through his relationship with Bethany. But I didn’t use you to get to him, and I would never dream of giving up what we have to have something with him.”
“But that’s exactly what you did, June,” she says, narrowing her eyes. “You set me aside. Our time together, my feelings—all of it was disposable for a good time with my brother.”
“It wasn’t just a good time, Ave,” I start to respond, but the way her face wrinkles up with disdain makes me shut my mouth. I look down at my lap, twisting my fingers together. There’s not much you can say when you know you’ve wronged someone. There’s not much you can say when you’re facing the hurt you’ve caused on your best friend’s face.
“Putting aside the fact that he’s an old man and my brother…it’s the way you treated our friendship like it was some third-class Titanic ticket.” She lets out a deep sigh. “Oh well, I guess it’s going down with the ship, huh?”
She shakes her head and starts to get up, and I reach out for her hand with a plead. “What can I do to make it better? How can I make it up to you? Fix it? I don’t want this to be the thing that drives us apart. We’ve been friends for way too long, and you mean way too much to me. I love you, Avery. I love you so much. What can I do?”
Avery’s face is as serious as I’ve ever seen it. “I don’t know if there is anything, June. I really don’t know, but I think you need to leave. Just being in the same room with you is too much for me.”
My heart breaks into a million tiny pieces, but I swallow down the urge to sob and head into my bedroom to pack a bag.
Avery wants me gone, and the last thing I’m going to do is cause her more pain than I already have.
I pace my room as the clock turns over to midnight, my message on the namesake app still unread.
ThunderStruck: June, are you okay? Where are you?
I heard their apartment door slam several hours ago, right at the culmination of June’s heated conversation with Avery that I couldn’t quite make out through the wall, and I’ve been worrying about June ever since.
Her room is silent, and Avery plays loud, angry music meant, I know, to make a point to me.
Antsy, I send another message.
ThunderStruck: I’m worried about you. I know you’re not home. Please, I need to know you’re safe.
When the wheel spins to indicate she’s typing, I stand up straighter, my heart in my throat.
ElizaBeth: I’m safe. But please, I need you to leave me alone.
ThunderStruck: I don’t think I can do that.
ElizaBeth: If you can’t, I’m going to have to do it for you. This isn’t a good idea, and I’m sorry I was the one who started it. I ruined everything.
ThunderStuck: Don’t say that. Avery is going to get over it.
ElizaBeth Ended the Chat
My phone beeps, and everything we’ve ever said to each other inside Midnight disappears. Months of conversations, gone in an instant.
I swallow thickly and sit down on my bed, my phone in my hands and my mind adrift.
Is there really a chance this is over? It can’t be. I don’t want it to end.