Page 16 of Breakaway

Breathing rapidly,I sit on my bed, balling my fists. My face is wet from tears, and I grit my teeth, angry with myself. I throw my blanket aside, stand up from the bed, and snatch my phone from the nightstand. Two a.m. Wow, is this a new fucking record?

Releasing an exasperated sigh, I wipe my face with my hands and slap my cheeks. Hard. I would’ve given up on a lot of things if physical pain could solve the ache in my chest. The slap dulls it for a moment, makes the memories quieter, but it never stops it completely. The ache is always with me.

Tiptoeing out of my bedroom, I go to the living room and turn on the TV, launching Netflix. The volume is as low as possible when I turn on the first episode ofPeaky Blinders. I’ve watched this so many times, I can quote the characters. It’s my favorite show, and it always quiets my disturbing thoughts, letting me lose myself in the world of Thomas Shelby.

I’m halfway through the first episode, when my eyelids grow heavy. Leaning back into the couch, I nestle more comfortably in case I fall asleep. The hand on my shoulder makes me jerk awake, and I barely stop myself from yelling. Glancing over myshoulder, I find Nevaeh standing behind me, an empty glass in her hand.

“I didn’t know you were up,” she mutters, giving me a small smile. “Sorry I scared you.”

“It’s fine.” My voice sounds hoarse as I run a hand down my face. “Did I wake you?”

Nevaeh shakes her head, rounding the couch and sitting down beside me. She’s still in her clothes from earlier. The only difference is her hair, which is pulled into a little messy bun on top of her head, a pencil peeking through it.

“I have an article due in a week, and I decided to work on it.” She lifts her glass. “I came out here to get some water. Can’t sleep?”

I nod. “I decided to watch something to see if that’d help me.”

Her gaze drifts to the TV, her eyes following the people on the screen. “I’ve heard so much about this show, but I’ve never gotten around to watching it. Is it worth it?”

“One hundred percent. It’s the best show ever. You should watch it.”

“I’ll think about it.” She smiles, her eyes roaming over my face. “You’re going to sleep through your flight to Vegas.”

Then an idea pops into my head, and before I can think it through I blabber, “Want to come with me?”

Her eyelashes flutter; she’s gawking at me, slack-jawed. “I thought you didn’t need company.”

I need company more than anything these days, even if I don’t want to admit it aloud.

“Prosto?2…Sorry, I was just thinking back to what you and Colton said, and I guess you’re right. It’d be more fun to go with someone,” I mumble. “I’ll pay for everything; you don’t need to worry about anything. I’m sure you’ll need a good chunk of money for a deposit on an apartment.”

Nevaeh continues to stare at me in silence. The voices of the actors on the TV barely reach my ears, and my heartbeat echoes in my chest so loudly, the sound sears through my skin. With a lift of her shoulder, she smiles.

“Why not?”

1 ??????? — Baby girl

2 ??????… — Just…

Chapter 7

He’s Just a Guy

NEVAEH

“So, does Drake know?”I ask Angie, watching Roman from afar as he buys coffee for us.

“Not yet.” She laughs heartily, and the sounds of people’s chatter become louder on the other end of the line. “Sorry, we’re at a restaurant for dinner, and it’s really crowded. Drake went to the restroom, so I decided to call you.”

“That’s fine. When are you planning to tell him?”

“In Paris. We’ll be there in two days,” she replies. “How are you, Nev? Are you feeling better?”

Twisting my mouth, I bite my bottom lip and stare at the plane that’s getting ready to take off. I hate lying to my best friend, but I don’t want to bother her with my problems when she’s enjoying her time with her boyfriend. I’ll tell her the truth once she’s back.

“I’m good. Took a few days off to recharge my batteries, and it’s really been helpful.”

“That makes me happy. I’ve been worried about you, Nev. Once I’m home, we need to have a sleepover.”

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