Page 30 of Echoes of Us

“Yeah, she got home a few minutes ago,” Mom replied suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”

“I need to study tonight. Thanks,” I reply and shoot up the stairs, Eli hot on my tail.

I find her door locked but hear piano music playing loudly from inside. I don’t see her as a classical music type, people do listen to it when they study so that is probably it. I knock a bit harder, and the music turns down. “Who is it?” Teagan asks through the door.

“It’s me. Please let me in for a sec.” I plead.

After a few moments, the music is turned up and the door remains shut. I’ll just have to wait for dinner.

At dinner, I notice there are only four settings. “Mom, is Teagan not eating?” I ask.

“She texted me she isn’t feeling well and is going to go to sleep early,” she replies.

After we eat, I stand up and go to the kitchen to help Mom put away the leftovers. “I am going to go see if Teagan is awake and wants a plate,” I say.

“Okay but you need to come down right after. We are doing a family bible study in the living room, remember?” Mom replies.

I make Teagan a plate and rush upstairs. I try knocking again, and surprisingly, the door opens.

Teagan leans against the door frame and looks at me with an unreadable expression. She has clearly been crying all afternoon from the puffiness of her eyes. My heart sinks at the sight.

“You really don’t let up, do you princess?” she says flatly.

“I brought you dinner. I know you aren’t really sick, and I didn’t want you to go to bed hungry,” I say handing her the plate.

“This doesn’t make up for anything.” She grabs the plate and begins to shut the door.

“Please wait.” I put my hand on the door to stop it. “Just let me come in and apologize. This is already hard enough for me to do, don’t make me beg more.”

She takes a moment to consider and then steps aside, motioning into her room. Eli follows me in and jumps onto her bed, going belly up as usual. I take that opportunity to sit on her bed and start rubbing his belly to break up some of this awkwardness. She sits at the desk and begins to eat her dinner.

“Look, I am sorry for the way I have treated you since you arrived. I had this…idea of how my senior year would go. I still don’t necessarily want you here, but I let things get out of control. It was cruel and I’m not cruel.”

“You could have fooled me.” Teagan says quietly, looking down at her plate.

“You’re right. I have been cruel, and I feel awful about it. No one deserves to be treated how you’ve been treated by me and everyone else at school. For that, I am truly sorry,” I say.

She looks up to meet my eyes “We have to live together, so let’s just agree to stay away from each other and live in peace until I am gone. I don’t want to be here as much as you don’t want me here, trust me.”

I nod and stand to walk over to her. She looks confused. Her eyes follow my hand as I pull folded papers out of my pocket. I unfold them and lay them in front of her on the desk. I take a deep breath and say, “This is the first ‘A’ I have ever made in calculus, and I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you, Teagan.” I turn to leave.

It was harder to tell her I needed her than it was to apologize.

Chapter 35

Teagan

I wake up to a knock at my door. I look at the clock on my nightstand. Who is knocking on my door at 6:20 a.m? I roll out of bed and realize the soft knock is coming from the bathroom door. I open the door to find Emmaline standing there. Her eyes go wide, scanning down my body. I realize I am only in a sports bra and underwear.

“A princess and a prude,” I joke.

Her cheeks flush and her eyes shoot back up to my face, “I uhh…wanted to know if you wanted the first shower?”

I raise an eyebrow in question. “Why? Do you have another prank set up in the shower for me?” I reply.

Her eyes go wide again, “No, no there isn’t. I just thought since you ride with Grace to school now and leave earlier than me, you should go first.”

What a weird conversation to be half awake and half naked for. “No…you go ahead. Grace can’t take me today, so I planned to ride with you and EJ.”

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