Page 99 of Shattering

Ana muttered again, low and furious.

Cadi leaned closer. "Did you just say 'pigs who have herpes'?"

Ana scowled, gripping her glass tighter.

Cadi bit back a smile. "Ana..."

Ana sighed dramatically, taking off her glasses and rubbing her face. "I was talking about Byron."

Cadi tried very, very hard not to laugh. "Oh, I gathered."

Ana made a disgusted noise. "Now I think he should be dropped onto an episode of Love Island—but with only himself as a contestant and a bunch of seagulls trained to scream twat at him every five seconds."

Cadi snorted into her tea. "Creative."

Ana huffed, taking a sip. "He deserves nothing less."

Cadi tilted her head. "You used to like him."

Ana looked personally offended. "I was young and stupid."

Cadi smirked. "And now?"

Ana made a disgusted noise. "Now I think he should be launched into the sun."

Cadi grinned. "And yet, I bet if he walked in right now, you'd still argue with him for three hours straight."

Ana scoffed. "I would argue with a brick wall if it had a punchable face."

Cadi leaned back, amused. "And yet you say you don't care."

Ana threw a cushion at her. "Shut up."

Cadi laughed, dodging it easily.

Ana grumbled, shoving her glasses back into her hair. "Pigs with herpes," she muttered again, taking another long sip of her drink.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, she set her drink down, sighing dramatically.

"Honestly, Byron is the king of cunts."

Cadi burst out laughing.

Ana just crossed her arms. "What? I'm not wrong."

And Cadi couldn't help but think—it was good to have her back.

Chapter 46

Next day

Cadi found the note waiting for her when she woke up.

Gray had left it on her pillow, written in his steady, deliberate script.

Cadi,

I was thinking' about my mam today. About the things she did right, the things she couldn't do, the things she carried.

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