The house is cozy, with two bedrooms and one bath, set on a quiet road in a big city. I picked it because it reminded me of the house where I grew up. This place is a little smaller, but it was a home just like this, where I ran through the halls with my sister on my heels, a kitchen just like the one I have my morning coffee in every day, where we ate chocolate cereal and made pancakes every Saturday with my parents. I hoped it would comfort me, but it only hurts my feelings.
Curling my legs under myself, I pick up my cell and dial Savannah. We met some years back now, back when we wereboth attending college, but she’s been my best friend since. I knew when I needed to pack up my life and move, she’d be there to pick up the pieces and help me put it all back together.
She answers on the third ring, “Chocolate chip or blueberry?” She asks as her way of greeting.
“Chocolate chip,” I answer immediately, knowing exactly what she means with that question. I hear her place the order at the bakery in the background, and then a shuffling sound as she puts her cell back to her ear. “I’ll be around in ten.”
“Alright,” I get back up from the couch, “I’ll have coffee ready.”
She lets out a heavy groan, “Fuck, yes, please. I am dying.”
“If you weren’t up all night with that man of yours, you wouldn’t be so dependent on the coffee.”
“Shh,” Savvy laughs, “See you soon.”
Exactly ten minutes later, she’s walking through the front door, a brown paper bag containing the sweet goods gripped in her hand.
“Sloane,” She sings my name, a grin on her face as she places the muffins down and plucks up her coffee from the counter. “Good morning.”
She’s come so far since her accident only a few months ago. She looks healthy, happy, and I know it has a lot to do with Killian. Naturally, I am weary of men, after everything that happened with me, I find I can’t trust any of them. Not the man in the store down the road that sells me my herbs for the tea I like to make, or the dog walker that says hello to me every morning when he passes me in the park during my morning walk.
But I like Killian. He is good for her.
I’ve come to accept that I’ll never have what she has, not when I can’t trust anyone enough to let them in. It’s taken me a while to realize that not everyone is against me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let my guard down and spill all my secrets.
Secrets are keeping me safe.
The only person, other than my family who knows what happened is Savannah, and I plan to keep it that way.
I take my muffin out of the bag and tear off a piece, putting it in my mouth. These are the best damn muffins I’ve ever tasted, and it’s a ritual for me and my best friend to get them twice a week to have during our weekly catchups.
“What’s new?” I ask.
Her blue eyes flick to me, and she lets out a long breath, “Well…”
“Oh, this is going to be good,” I laugh.
She cringes.
“Oh shit,” My eyes widen. “Shit, I’m sorry. Is everything okay?” Anxiety spikes throughout me, my heart notching up in speed. Ever since everything happened, anxiety has been a constant, it hits when it shouldn’t, andeverythingtriggers it. Knowing something bad has happened with Savannah is just one of them things.
“Yes,” She sighs, “Well, no, but I’m fine. It’s Dean.”
I try to stifle the need to roll my eyes at the sound of his name. We’ve met a handful of times, and I can’t exactly say we hit it off.
“What about him?”
“Turns out he’s a dad.”
“He got some poor girl pregnant?” My brows raise.
But Sav frowns, “Just what is it between you two?”
“What do you mean?” I defend.
“As far as I can tell, you’ve barely spoken, but it’s like you hate each other.”
“I don’t hate him,” I shrug.
