Page 120 of Diem

He’s gone before I can comment and burying my head in my pillow, I try to push the words aside, but they ring in my ears as I hold back tears.

What does Diem want from me?

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Maeve

Avoiding my dad, I head for school, hoping today wasn’t a no car day. Oh well, if it was, he’ll have to lecture me about it later.

In the lot, I park my car and stare at the stone wall before me. I’m so twisted inside; I feel like a goddamn pretzel. Diem’s conviction was more passionate than I thought possible, but I’ve been down that road before. It would be foolish to continue because it’s a dead end with a fucking cliff to nowhere.

The notion that I left my dad facing a false charge of murder does not sit well with me but I push it aside. Unless I can figure another way around Skull’s demands, I will have to keep looking for Kenny.

Our finals are just days away and I haven’t studied for a fucking thing. At this rate, I’ll be taking summer school, assuming I come back at all.

I don’t care though. I can’t concentrate for shit. Sleep eludes me and whenever I’m home, all I think about is how easy it would be to pull out the razor hidden in my bathroom and make the ache go away.

Penny hasn’t returned my text messages despite her warning about the damn rabbit's foot. Now that I’ve received a new message in the form of panties I swear were in my laundry not so long ago, this just got ten times more real. The question is, what do I do about it?

All of this and more is circling my skull when I exit my car and turn to Matt standing by the bumper. “Hey,” he says with a smile, and I nod.

Matt is another puzzle that I’m having a hard time solving and unfortunately for him, I’m not sure I care to. He’s at the bottom of my list of priorities which is a shitty thing to say but the truth.

“You study for Mr. Hansen’s pre-test?” Matt says and pulling my bag up my shoulder, I inwardly groan. I didn’t study for shit.

“Um, yeah, sort of,” I mumble, and Matt continues, oblivious to my silence. “I think I’m going to get into Radley, Maeve.”

“What? That’s amazing, Matt,” I say, touching his arm. His cheeks flush with his pleasure and I grin. Matt has been talking about going to Radley since I met him, our freshman year.

“Thanks! You hear back from State?” he asks, and I shake my head.

If I recall, the application is still sitting on my desk, buried beneath a bunch of crap. I never sent it in, distracted by the drama that started to unfold during that time.

“Probably just—” he starts when Harriet shouts across the lot, “Matt!”

Matt’s happy grin curls in and I eye his blank stare before he shrugs and says, quietly, “See you later.”

“Bye,” I mumble, relieved for the reprieve.

“Douche,” Diem grunts before spinning me around. “I thought I told you to stay away from him?”

“He’s my friend,” I say mulishly.

“Is he?” he asks, staring after him with a frown.

“Yes.” I move to leave, and he tightens his grip.

“Where you going?”

“Class?” I say sarcastically and he chuckles.

“You’re cute when you’re sassy.”

“Whatever,” I grumble, hiding my pleasure behind a frown.

He pulls me along and I can’t help but wonder what his game is now. But when we enter, I spot Hailey standing by her locker, shoving her shit inside with a scowl.

Slowing, I say, “Diem?”

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