Page 88 of Don't Let Go

Chloe slapped my arm. “Stop it. You’re going to injure your damn eyes. They are too pretty to be replaced by glass or an eye patch.”

A sigh slipped past my lips as I sat the giant pink bowl of popcorn that was lying on my lap on the coffee table in front of me. “When can I go home? This is the third movie you’ve made me watch.”

Chloe tsked, rubbing the butter and salt on her fingers onto her Eeyore pajama bottoms. “Don’t tell me you don’t love the classics. You’ve always lovedDirty Dancing,Sleepless in Seattle, andPretty Woman. Don’t deny the power these movies have on your well-being. They help heal.”

I pulled on the ends of my hair until it hurt at the roots. “I do love those movies, and having you glued by my side has been… charming, to say the least.” I gave her a grimace. “But I need to go home.”

Chloe hit the back button on the remote, killing the credits and returning to the movie’s page on the streaming platform. “Nope. I think you should stay here a little longer. I think a change of scenery is good for you.”

This hostage situation grew tiresome. She thought I'd do something stupid, but I wanted to get all my ducks into a row before popping someone. Before killing someone, you need to make sure they have the appropriate target on their back and never kill the innocent.

“I appreciate that, but it’s the middle of the week. I want to sleep in my bed and not on your couch.”

Chloe frowned, biting her bottom lip as she thought of her next excuse. I got to my feet before she found another movie to put on and got me sucked back into the couch for another two hours. “I’m going to be okay. I will go homeandstay home. You don’t need to worry. You’re not my mom.”

Chloe’s face fell—I struck a nerve. Her mouth twitched, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she flipped through the movies and landed on something. “You wanna watchTwisterand then go home?” she asked, hope clung to her words.

That girl knew I loved that damn movie with all its action and slow-burn romance. I stretched my back, making it pop, and sat back down. “Fine. One last movie, and then I’m going home. You know I’m a sucker for Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.”

She clicked on the film, and it started. “I’m going to get some more soda. You want anything?”

“Just a bottle of water, please. I’m probably going to break out with all this sugar.”

Chloe’s mouth squished to the side. “I know. I wish having a good reason for eating a ton of sugar gave you a pass.”

Chloe returned with my water bottle and a cup full of clear, bubbly soda. She took a sip and placed it on the coffee table and grabbed the popcorn bowl.

“You ready to survive the storm?” she joked, wiggling her eyebrows.

God, she was weird, but I loved her. She always meant well.

“Yes.”

I leaned my head on my best friend’s shoulder. She munched on popcorn and threw a handful of popcorn at the TV as the tornado took Jo’s beloved father. I knew that gut-wrenching feeling myself.

“Tornados are amazing and so damn scary,” Chloe said, shoving more popcorn into her mouth.

I sat up, settling into the comfy seat and pulling a throw blanket over my legs. Her chewing gave me a headache. “You need to calm down, or you’ll choke.”

She ignored my comment and continued her little rant. “One day, you’re living a normal life, and then dark clouds roll in with rain and thunder, and a sinister funnel of wind comes down and steals everything you know and love.”

Chloe took the remote from me, pausing the movie. “Do you wanna talk about the twister that ripped apart your life?”

Talk about a head spin.

My throat ached at all the unshed tears I kept locked inside. There was a time for grief and a time for action, my brother had said. That didn’t have to apply to the same person. My family could grieve for Lizzy, and I would avenge her death.

“Not tonight. Not yet. I want to watch this and forget about reality for a bit. Okay?”

Chloe wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Okay.”

She snaked her arm back so she could resume eating all the popcorn.

I looked over at my friend. She mouthed along with the dialogue; we both knew the film by heart. Part of me wished I could give in to my sorrow and allow my family or Chloe or even Tyler to hold me together, but I couldn’t put that kind of pain and pressure on them. Everyone had their baggage to carry. Some people had heavier bags than others.

Tonight, I’d rest and watch movies and go home to sleep like a normal teen girl. Tomorrow I’ll plot my revenge, dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s. If that meant I sold my soul to the devil, then so be it. At least my baby sister’s spirit would be at ease. At least I would have some peace of mind.

Everyone was asleep when I arrived home, so I crept up the stairs and locked myself in my bedroom. I changed into my pajamas but didn’t feel like sleeping. Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Lizzy. Her smiling, singing along with her Disney princess songs, laughing at a silly joke, happily eating something I made her, and seeing her short life fade away in my arms.

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