I shake my head. “Nope. Hadley already stopped by, and she texted me after her exam. I told her to go home and study, so I doubt it’s her.”
Beck is already scrambling off the bed. “Stay here. I’ll get it, and then we can order food.”
I head to the bathroom to wash my face and clean myself up, grabbing a light cardigan and throwing it on over my tank before I wander out to the living room to see who was at the door.
A somewhat familiar girl with straight jet-black hair is standing in the living room with an ashen Beck. I go immediately to his side, offering moral support as I eyeball the woman warily. Who is she, and what does she want? Her presence seems to have upset Beck, and I don’t like it. She returns my probing stare, and we face off for a few seconds. Her purple-blue eyes are striking, and a light bulb goes off in my head. Now I remember where I know her from. “You were at Brielle’s funeral.”
Sorrow skates over her face. “I was.”
Beck threads his fingers in mine. “Jan was Brielle’s best friend and roommate.”
She looks up at him, knotting and unknotting her fingers as she nibbles on her lower lip. “I’m sorry for just showing up here, but I need to talk to you, Beck. There are things you don’t know. Things you need to know and things I need to get off my chest.”
ChapterFifty-Six
Stevie
“How long have you and Beck been together?” Jan asks when Beck is in the kitchen getting coffee.
“We’re not together in that way. We’re good friends, and we met at the hospital four months ago.” I pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. “My boyfriend is in a coma.”
“Oh no.” Sympathy shines from her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
I offer her a weak smile, hoping she drops the subject because I’m too fragile today to entertain any conversation about Garrick. Thankfully, she doesn’t pry. “I’m sorry for your loss,” I say. “How long had you known Brielle?”
“Six years. We met freshman year of college, and we were thick as thieves from then on. We didn’t even discuss moving in together after we graduated. It was a given.”
“She valued your friendship a lot.” Beck enters the room carrying a tray with coffees and cookies.
“I don’t think I was a good enough friend at the end,” Jan says, accepting a mug from Beck.
“That’s exactly how I feel,” he agrees, handing me a coffee.
“It’s why I’m here.” Jan wraps both hands around her mug as she sips her drink. “I should have come sooner, but I’ve been wallowing in grief and only thinking of myself. When I saw you at the funeral”—her eyes dart between me and Beck—“I realized I needed to let you know because I recognized the invisible weight on your shoulders. I could tell you were blaming yourself, like I’ve spent months blaming myself, and I want to put your mind at ease.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible.” Beck sits on the couch beside me. “But I’m interested in what you have to say.” His thigh brushes against mine, and I welcome the heat from his body. I’ve felt a bone-deep chill all day that has nothing to do with the temperature.
“Should I leave the room?” I inquire, my gaze dancing between Beck and Jan. “If this is a private conversation, I can make myself scarce.”
“I have no issue speaking in front of you,” Jan says.
Beck peers deep into my eyes. “I would like you to stay.”
I read everything he’s not saying. “Okay.”
Relief and gratitude shimmer in his eyes before he turns his attention back to Brielle’s friend. “Tell me what you know.”
“I know your relationship wasn’t real,” she says. “I just want to put that out there. Elle and I didn’t keep secrets from one another. Well, not until those last few months.”
“I suspected as much anyway.”
“Did she tell you about Dex?”
Beck shakes his head. “We weren’t close in that way.”
“She met Dex last summer through a colleague at work. Elle has always been a troubled soul. She was so lost and always trying to find her way. That asshole met her when she was at a real low point. I think he targeted her for her vulnerability.” Her striking eyes lock on Beck’s. “Were you aware she was addicted to opioids?”
“No. I never suspected. At least not until she OD’d. Then the thought did cross my mind.”
