Page 72 of Fake Game

Sydney crouches next to me on the floor as I screw my ring light together, her cherry perfume floating into the space.

“I’m sure you had to look super hard.”

“I did. You’re small and easy to miss.”

“Hey, I’m not that much shorter than you.”

“Says the person who can buy children’s shoes.”

My jaw falls open. “You’ve been spending too much time with your boyfriend. You used to be nicer.”

“I won’t argue that.” She drops to the ground and begins flicking through her phone. “I was thinking we could order in and christen your new place—see if Lee and Stevie are free, maybe?”

Relief floods me at the thought of not having to be alone.

“Sure, let’s get Ace Burger.”

“Already one step ahead of you.” She tilts her phone my way to show the online ordering app.

“Ugh, I love you and all your planning.” I turn to give her a genuine smile as I pluck the phone from her.

Syd’s eyes flick over my face, her expression faltering for a second. She opens her mouth to say something but ends up just clenching her jaw together.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s never nothing with you.”

She lets out a sigh.

“Sydney.”

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re looking better than a few weeks ago, but…” She pulls her lower lip between her teeth.

“But.”

“But you still look…not…great.”

I give her an unamused side-eye.

“Like I said, you’re looking better. Seriously.” Her smile borders on a wince. “But I don’t know. Are you getting any sleep?”

The metal nut I’d been in the middle of twisting slips from my fingers onto my new rug.

“What did Jackson tell you?”

One of her blonde brows rises. “Nothing,” she says slowly, carefully drawing out the letters.

Shit.

“Why?”

I shrug, digging my fingers into the soft rug, searching for the nut so I can finish setting up this stupid ring light. Sydney stays silent, and I can tell she wants to push me but is afraid I’ll snap back at her. Which I might. I don’t want to talk about it. It’s bad enough that Jackson knows about the nightmares, if everyone else hears about them…they’ll never leave me alone.

And it’s getting better. I know it’s getting better.

I’m not waking up screaming anymore.

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