Page 86 of A Sky Full Of Stars

Though my gran isn’t speaking to me, I’ve recently discovered she’s still defending me in the background. And by that, I mean that she’s making things difficult for the girls that contributed to my downfall. Namely, the ones that thought no one knew what they’d done. The ones convinced they got away with it by getting others to do their bidding. To rattle me. But while they may not have directly contributed to trying to break me, I knew what they’d done.

It didn’t take much to put the pieces together, and it looks like others have figured it out too. Including my gran.

Now they’re sending me messages in an attempt to unnerve me.

Unknown: Do you really want to play it this way?

Unknown: Poor Lainey. Couldn’t hack it so you ran and had Granny pick up the pieces.

And myfavorite…

Unknown: If you’re not careful, you’ll never dance again.

Because they think that’s what I want… I haven’t so much as twirled since I left that place, and I have no current plans to try.Except with Thomas.Somehow he manages to change things for me, and I haven’t decided whether that’s a good thing or bad thing.

Pretending I don’t have butterflies settling around my middle, I read the latest text and roll my eyes.

Unknown: You need to make her stop.

If only I had any say in what my gran did, but sorry, “friends”…I don’t.

This isn’t the first time I’ve received messages like this, and just like with Heath’s threats, I ignore them. I took away their power to hurt me when I hurt myself, and now, I no longer care. It’s just one thing after another. I can’t catch a freaking break and I’m over it. I’ve got more important things to worry about, and I’d much prefer to be doing that.

I swipe out of that text message and open Thomas’s chat instead. If it wasn’t four in the morning for him, I’d return his call, but for now a text message will have to do.

As I contemplate what to write, his voicemail plays on repeat in my mind.

Today sucked and I’ve had way too much to drink. But I miss you. And fuck I need you right now.

The butterflies turn to a sharp pang as I think about his drinking. I’m terrified it’s a problem, but also worried that if I ask, he’ll push me away again. Right now, the best way I canhelp him is to be there for him, however he needs me, and as a trade-off, helping him takes my mind off my own issues, so it’s a win-win.

Lainey: I need you too. Let’s talk when you wake up.

My stomach rumbles before I’ve even opened my eyes, and I groan at the inconvenience of food, not really wanting to go anywhere near the tainted kitchen. After checking my phone—to no new messages—I throw on a winter dress and tiptoe down the hall, breathing a sigh of relief that Heath’s door is closed until the woman from last night comes into view.

My nostrils flare as an unwanted image comes to the surface while the woman smiles. I almost turn away without acknowledging her existence until I notice she’s drinking out of Heath’s favorite black mug—the mug he claims he loves because it matches my hair. At least, it used to. Maintaining a straight face, I tuck some pink strands behind my ears before folding my arms across my chest.

“I hope you and Heath plan to clean the kitchen before you leave today. No matter how mediocre the sex was, it’s still dirty.”

Biting back a laugh, I walk away with a bounce in my step, feeling a little self-satisfied with my reaction.Three and a half months.I take a deep breath. Three and a half months and I’m gone. I just have to keep myself distracted until then.

Chapter Thirty

Thomas

The obnoxious sound of my phone ringing pulls me from sleep, and I yell at it to stop before burying my head under my pillow. It's still dark. Why would anyone—

My eyes shoot open and I sit up in a rush, a wave of dizziness sending me back down to the bed.

“Jesus.”

Grabbing my head, I groan as a throbbing pain clouds my mind, and I fight to remember what I was doing.

It’s a few still moments before the aching eases, and when it does, memories of the previous night come back to me.

And one stands out.

Calling Lainey…needing to talk to her. Desperate for it. And her not answering.

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