I watched her expression freeze, then flicker with fear, dread, and resignation.
“Oh,” she whispered. “Of course.”
“They were . . . polite,” I said carefully. “But it was tense. And when Belle mentioned us being friendly?—”
Her eyes widened. “Oh no.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I just wanted you to know before you walk out there.”
She pressed her lips together, lifted her chin, and inhaled a shaky breath.
“It’s fine,” she said. But the look in her eyes said she felt anything but fine.
I wished I could take her hand. I wished I could pull her into a hug I wished I could walk out there with her.
Instead, I just said softly, “I’m here.”
She nodded once, holding on to the words like a lifeline.
Then she squared her shoulders.
And walked toward the lobby.
31
ELEANOR
Mel and Becca’s house was already buzzing when we got there. Kids wove between adults, music drifting from the living room, someone’s dog barking in the backyard like it had been waiting all week for this night. The smell of pizza and cupcakes hit me the moment I stepped inside, warm and inviting, the exact opposite of the tight knot sitting under my ribs.
Ava went straight to Leo, sliding onto the couch beside him like they’d been friends for years. Leo showed her something on his tablet, probably one of his endless drawings of superheroes and dragons, and she actually smiled. Really smiled. My girl. Opening night glow and all.
I should’ve been floating with her.
Instead, my brain was ricocheting around the same awful loop.
What did my mother say to Alex?
What did Stacey say?
What are they going to say to me?
Do I even want to go home?
Alex was talking to Mel near the snack table, and every few seconds, he looked over at me. He tried to hide the concern, but I saw it. It felt like a hand pressing lightly against my back. I gave him a small smile, nothing big, nothing that would give us away, but enough to say,I’m okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.
He relaxed. A little.
Becca appeared beside me with two plastic cups, one water, one something bright blue that probably shouldn’t be ingested by humans.
“You look like you could use this,” she said, pressing the water into my hand.
I huffed a small laugh. “Do I really look that bad?”
“Not bad,” she said gently. “Just . . . in your head.”
“Yeah.” I exhaled through my nose. “I guess you could say that.”
She nodded like she understood more than she said. And honestly? She probably did.
