“HELP!” He yells. “HELP! You’re going to be okay. HELP US!”
His words barely seem real as darkness closes in around me.
“I’ll take care of you, kid.”
“You’re not alone.”
“Fight, Hayes!”
But I didn’t fight.
I had no reason left to.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Liv
Iexhale, pushing the smoke through my lips until a cloud forms above me, and it slowly dissipates. It’s so late that my eyes are heavy from exhaustion and all the tears, but I couldn’t sleep for the life of me.
Thea’s in my bed, Callie’s on the couch, and Natalie was curled up like a cat on the chair in the living room when I tiptoed to the back door.
Tomorrow morning, I’ll pack a bag and go to Thea’s instead of going on my honeymoon, and as much as I love her and her little family, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”That voice.
It stops me from pulling the joint from my lips, so I take another drag and blow the smoke out, giving me some time to process.
“I figured the day couldn’t get much worse,” I say into thin air.
“Is Olive Greenwood breaking the law?” He asks, making his silhouette visible in the dark outskirts of my porch.
“A nasty little habit I picked up in college,” I tell him sarcastically as he comes into the light of the back porch.It’s nearly 4 am. “What are you doing here?”
“I was out for a stroll.” He steps closer, and I don’t muffle the gasp that escapes me.
“You look terrible.”
He snorts. “Thanks, I’d say the same to you… But that’d be a lie.”
“Shut up.” I know I have bags heavier than concrete under my eyes and remnants of wedding makeup smeared across my face.
“I got your letter.”
“You were also supposed to get the memo to leave me alone.” I pull my knees to my chest, wrapping my free arm around my shins.
“I had to check on you.”
“I’m fine.”
He glances at the pot on my patio table, totally unconvinced.
“Besides, I heard you were the one losing it today.”
“I might’ve been a little upset.”
He would have come for me.“Are you pissed at Lochlan for putting you in a cage?”
“No, he meant well.”
