God, it smelled like him.
Ismelled like him. Every part of me was marked in some way by him. He was branded deep on my bones in a way I’d never be rid of.
Fuck, I thought this was it.
I thought I was done looking.
I was openly sobbing by the time Delia answered.
It was always Delia who picked up first, and that realization comforted me. When everything was spiraling out of control, it was nice to know some things would never change.
“Ella?” she asked. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“He-he-he—” I tried to force the words out around my choked sobs, but I kept getting caught on the next word. “Kissed,” I spat at last. “He kissed her.”
The proclamation was followed by a wail, and I collapsed to the floor, throwing my shoes angrily across the room, narrowly missing the TV and instead punching a small hole in the wall, the heel lodging itself there and staying.
“What the fuck is going on?” Amara asked when she joined the call.
Through my tears, I glanced at my phone screen, too distraught to pick it up, to see all four of them were there. With me when my world was falling apart.
The only goddamn people I could ever count on.
“Apparently,hekissed someone,” Delia explained. “I’m assumingheis Liam, but that doesn’t make much sense. That man is a fucking simp if I ever saw one.”
“What’s a simp?” a male voice asked, but Delia shushed him.
“Not now, QB. The grownups are talking.”
I choked on a laugh. “I don’t know why he puts up with you.”
“Me either!” Owen shouted from the background.
“Are you sure you saw what you think you did?” Chloe asked. “I mean, I agree with Delia. That’s very unlike him.”
“I know what I saw!” I snapped.
“Okay,” Brie said placatingly. She’d been doing that since she was old enough to talk, always playing referee amongst her four older sisters. “Okay, El. We believe you. Did you talk to him?”
“No. I ran.”
“Classic,” Chloe said.
“What’sthatsupposed to mean?”
Chloe looked chastened as she said, “Sorry. Just a book thing.”
“This isn’t a fuckingbook, Coco. This is mylife.”
And it was once again in shambles around me.
“We know, sissy,” Amara said softly. “What do you need from us?”
“A flight,” I said quickly. “Get me a fucking flight. And a car. Get me out of here.”
“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Delia asked.
“I just want to be home,” I told her.
