Page 22 of Fall Hard

I pocketed the number and nodded as we continued walking past the mall, across the road, and into the park. “Thanks.” I appreciated the thought, especially because I knew it was well-intentioned and not some kind of manipulation—a test of ‘weakness’, like it would have been if my parents had suggested it. “How did you get into all the therapy stuff anyway?”

“My mom loves it. As soon as I hit my teens she got me to sit down a couple times a month with a therapist—Mr Calloway,” she said, smiling fondly and I watched her in quiet fascination as we passed under a street light.

Footsteps sounded behind us and I moved half a step closer to Bryn, slowing our pace so that whoever was there could overtake us while we stayed inside the vicinity of the light.

It wasn’t until the footsteps slowed too that I tensed up. Bryn noticed and glanced behind us, her jaw tight when she turned back around.

“Hey beautiful,” a voice called from behind us and I let my pace pick up a little.

“Just ignore him,” Bryn said quietly, “and he’ll lose interest.”

I nodded absently, my heart thumping too hard in my chest and pins and needles pricking painfully in my arms as my adrenaline surged.

“I was talking to you,” the guy continued, jogging forward to walk on the other side of Bryn and swiftly backing away as we approached the end of the park and busier part of town.

“Liv!”

I jumped, a gasp falling out of my mouth and I waved frantically when I realized who was standing outside ofThe Box.

Xander crossed over to us quickly, his eyes on the retreating figure of the man who’d been heckling us as he turned in the direction of the college campus rather than coming into town. “Everything okay?”

My breaths were coming unevenly but I nodded as I wrangled my panic back under control. Bryn blew out a slow breath before she looked at me and I could see the concern in her eyes.

“Maybe we’ll do the morning class.”

I nodded, still a little shaky, as I managed a wobbly smile for Xander. “What’re you doing out here?”

He nodded down to the cigarette in his hand and I wrinkled my nose as the smell hit me. “I was just having a quick smoke when I saw you. What did that guy want?”

“Ah, nothing. The usual.”

The frown on his face in response to my words finally made my heart slow as it sank in that I was with Xander and he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to us.

“Do you want me to walk you back home?”

I shook my head. “It’s alright, we’re practically there now.”

“I don’t mind,” he protested, pushing a stubborn strand of dark hair back and out of his eyes. “I’m always happy to walk you guys home.”

I loved that he didn’t hesitate to include Bryn in that offer, though he likely knew her better than I did considering he was friends with her brother.

Bryn pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and threaded her arm through mine. “We’ll text you as soon as we get back.”

He nodded and watched reluctantly as we walked away until I waved him back inside.

“You okay?” Bryn asked quietly as we walked the short distance to Jamie’s.

I shrugged. “I guess.”

She smiled, her face illuminated yellow by the cheap lights in the communal hall as we tugged open the metal door that led up to the apartment. “Same.” We trudged up the stairs, adrenaline plus yoga making us more tired than we otherwise would have been as we pushed into the apartment.

My hands unclenched at the sight of the familiar red walls. Home.Safe.

I walked to the kitchen and gulped down a glass of cold water before heading to my room and shucking off my workout clothes. When I came back out of my room, Bryn was waiting in the living room in her pajamas… vodka bottle in hand.

“You were out of tequila,” she said as she grimaced at the clear liquid.

I sighed as I took it from her. That sounded about right. “We’ll make do,” I said, choking a little as I sipped and passed the bottle to her.

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