Page 18 of The Afterthought

It's probably shitty of me to compare my past to her current situation, but I can't help it. The only real difference between her situation with Matt now and me being with Grey all those years ago is that she at least knows he is running with the Crimson Rose. He was at least honest with her about that.

Today has been such a roller coaster from Greyson to Chloe to my dead mother. I find myself missing my life from a few weeks ago when the only person I had to worry about was myself.

Chapter 10

Avalynn

The vibe at the house this morning was definitely less hostile than it has been since showing up at Dune Valley. Chloe got up and went to school with zero issues. I'm hoping that after the incident last weekend, we have finally found some sort of common ground. Maybe we can ride out the time until she graduates without any other intense events. I'm not really trying to be her parent, just a sister.

My phone dings in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts. It's Wrenly. She's been trying to get a hold of me since seeing me at Greyson’s party, and I've been ignoring her. Her going to that party and not telling me really pissed me off. I understand she has her life here, but I just came back to town. You would think she’d make an effort to see me instead of partying at my piece-of-shit ex's house.

Wrenly: Come on, Ava. I said I'm sorry.

Wrenly: Let me grovel and buy you coffee today.

Coffee does sound good, and not having to pay for it sounds even better. I've been cutting corners to try and stretch my savings. Fancy iced coffee is one of the luxuries I've gone without. Fuck. Am I really going to let her buy forgiveness just like that? My mouth starts watering just thinking about the caramel latte I could be drinking right now. Yep, I sure am.

Me: I'm getting the biggest size.

Me: And a blueberry muffin.

Wrenly: Totally fine by me. Meet me in 10?

Me: Fine. But I expect heavy groveling. That was a real shitty move over the weekend.

Wrenly: I knoooowww... I'll be on my knees waiting for your forgiveness.

Me: Don't be weird. I'll see you in a few.

I swear to God, if I show up and she is on her knees, I'm turning around and pretending she doesn't exist. I grab a black sweater and throw it over my shoulders, snagging my keys on the way to the door. The spring air is a little chilly today, but the drive to the coffee shop is short and quick.

When I walk in, Wrenly is sitting at a table in the corner with a ridiculously large iced coffee and muffin across from her. I smile at the sight of both her and the bribe and make my way over to her. She spots me and stands up to close the distance between us, pulling me right into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Ava. I know you probably think I'm a terrible friend."

I can't deny she was a lousy friend over the weekend, but she's been my ride-or-die since before I can remember. "It was a dick move. But you’ve bought my forgiveness with that." I tilt my head toward the table with the coffee and muffin on it.

She sighs and lets go of me, stepping back to the table. I sit across from her and pull the coffee up to my lips. The first taste sends chills through my body. Fuck, I missed this. There really isn't anything better than feeling that first taste of caffeine spreading through your veins.

Once I'm confident the coffee has successfully calmed part of the bitch inside me, I look at her. "Okay, explain."

"Do you know that guy I was with at the party? Kai?" She smiles.

"I don't really know him, but yeah, I saw you with him."

"Well, we've kind of been talking." Her cheeks blush slightly at the confession. Interesting.

"Talking or fucking?" I shoot a brow up and giggle.

Her eyes go wide, and she shakes her head at me. "Maybe both. I know I should have texted you and told you that I was going there. I just know you still get uncomfortable when I bring up anything about Greyson. I didn't want to tell you about the party, and then you get excited about a night out, only to find out it was for him."

"It's fine. I've been so caught up in my own shit with Chloe that I completely forgot it was his birthday. I can't believe I ended up at his freaking birthday party."

"Yeah, how the hell did that happen?"

"Chloe decided to sneak out. Trying to manage a seventeen-year-old is weird. I remember what it was like being her age and all the parties we were invited to. Even if I never went to any of them, there was always a party every weekend. This town is the same as it's always been. I figured if I drove around the area, I would find out where she ended up. She could only go so far on foot. I just didn't really expect it to be his house."

"You didn't know?"

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