Page 95 of No Place Like Home

She glared at me, and I could see tears in her eyes.

“I had to find my own mother dead. Knowing exactly who did it.” She got up and slammed the table. “I should use that as a party trick, don’t you think?”

Fuck, that wasn’t what I wanted.

“Jess!” I yelled as she started to run away.

I quickly sprinted after her. She didn’t get far when I had her in my arms.

“I’ve gotta go,” she seethed, trying to get away from me.

I didn’t let go of her. Instead, I turned her around so I could look into her eyes. And that pain that I had gotten a glimpse of was there tenfold. I had been so blind to it—or just so buried in my own shit that I’d ignored it. But now that I saw it clear as day, there was no way I would let her carry it.

“Let me go,” she hissed.

Ignoring her, I pulled her into me. Held her tight until she began to cry.

I didn’t know how I would help her, but one thing that was clear was that I couldn’t let her go anymore.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

One thingI hated was change. Why did we have to mess with a good thing? Sleeping over at Quincy’s had been a mistake.

No, scratch that. Inviting him to Rosie’s party was where I had fucked up.

“Earth to Jess.” Freya snapped her fingers in my direction.

“Why are you snapping your fingers at me?”

“Ooh, feisty,” she said, and everyone giggled.

What I’d thought was going to be lunch with Juliet, per her request, had ended with having everyone here. And by everyone, I meant Emma, Jana, and Freya tagging along.

“Okay, I can’t take it anymore,” Freya sighed. “Please tell me you and Q are a thing?”

My cheeks flamed. How dare she ask me that in front of everyone? This was Quincy when he settled down. It would be with a pretty girl who had their shit together.

I tried to look away, but everyone was looking at me expectantly.

“We. Are. Just. Friends,” I hissed at them.

Emma smiled at me. “Are you sure it’s the same for him?”

Her question caught me off-guard. Were they joking?

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

They seemed to drop it and went on about Prescott running for another term. Everyone left Juliet and me alone.

I could feel her gaze on me as I helped clean up.

“Just say it,” I told her.

“Jake and I were just friends at first,” she said.

Okay, not where I’d thought this would go.

“But he clearly liked you, and you liked him,” I added.

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