Page 34 of Bleeding Hearts
He scoffs as he heads back to Bones, who’s holding a crying Evan. “Yeah, well, you never know in this family. We can’t be taking risks like that. I hid your blender too. I also hid your keys. Good luck finding them.”
Shaking my head, I turn back to Alek. “Can’t you see how much she’s suffering? It sounded like you were accusing her of something. Did you really think that shit would help?”
“Please, stop,” Evan cries.
“I wasn’t trying to!” Alek yells.
“Well, it sounded like it!” I shout.
I am my father’s daughter, and I have the same fury he did.
“Stop!” Evan roars, and we turn to him. “This isn’t about us or your anger, Alice, no offense. This is about her. We need to find her and make this right. I didn’t know she was struggling so much. If what she said is true, then she needs help. I can’t lose her. She’s still my family, regardless of what she thinks, and she’s my best friend. I won’t lose another one. We need to put our shit aside. This is about her, not us. She deserves better. She deserves people who are there for her when she needs them. She needs to know we are here for her no matter what. This is going to change right now.” He looks at me. “Tell me everything. I can’t help save her if I don’t know. No more half-truths or lies. I know you care for her?—”
“I love her,” I correct him. “I love her.”
He smiles. “If you love her, then tell us so we can help. She’s my family too, Alice, and I don’t want anything happening to her. I fucked up, I was a bad friend, and I’m going to make it right, but I need your help. Will you help me save her?”
“We’re with you,” Bones and Sky say. “She’s our family too.”
Alek looks at me. “No matter what you think, Alice, I wasn’t trying to accuse her of anything. Lally is like a sister to me. You love her, so I love her. I just want to help, but I always put my foot in my mouth. Let me make this right.”
My anger dissipates as I stare at their saddened, worried faces. They didn’t go about it the right way, but I can’t deny that they love Lally.
That’s when a plan forms.
“So how did it go?” I ask around a mouthful of pasta, my eyes locked on Bones across the picnic table.
He groans. “Well, I’d say bad. She pressed a pencil to my neck and demanded to know why I was following her around art supply stores. When I told her I was interested in drawing, she made me sit and show her. She knows something is wrong.”
That makes me scoff. “Of course she does. She isn’t dumb, but it doesn’t matter. We just need to keep showing up like we planned, in turns, everywhere she goes. We’ll never let her feel alone again. We’ll show her we are here, even when she hates it.”
“I hope your plan works because apparently, she signed me up for a drawing class since I’m ‘so into drawing,’” he mocks with finger quotes, making me chuckle.
It took us a while to go over everyone’s schedules yesterday and work out when they could split their time, never mind figure out where she is, but we have to try something. Bones was first, and I’m guessing he regrets that decision.
I need to get into her room tonight and somehow make her let me sleep over, which should be fun since she told me she loved me and that she never wanted to see me again.
She loves me.
It’s all I cling to. She loves me, even if she’s trying to push me away.
She loves me . . .
It’s what keeps me going, knowing she feels the same way I feel about her. If our positions were reversed, she wouldn’t back down, so I can’t either. I want her to realize I’m not going anywhere. She’s stuck with me. From the first moment shesmiled at me, she sealed the deal. I’ll also be with her at Risk, but I can’t let the others know about that, only Bones, which makes this harder, but we’ll figure it out.
Something catches my gaze, and my eyes narrow before I recognize who is creeping through the bushes, the foliage moving with his weight.
“I’m sure Skylar will appreciate your drawing no matter how terrible it is.” I glance back to Bones. “Speaking of, do you know why Skylar is hiding behind you in a bush with a terrible hat and sunglasses on?”
Bones doesn’t even look as he takes a bite of his lunch and chews. I wait with an arched brow. “Oh, he’s probably stalking me,” he finally says.
“Uh-oh, why? He has binoculars. I didn’t even know people could still buy those,” I whisper.
His little smirk is downright evil, but the look in his eyes is totally gaga. Fuck people in love. “He pissed me off this morning, so I told him some cute guy kept eating dinner with me. It’s good to keep him on his toes, you know what I mean? I’m a catch, so he needs to put in the work.” He shrugs.
I just stare at him for a moment before I blink hard. “Uh-huh, yup, totally. Do we do anything about him? In the bushes, I mean?”
“Nah, we’ll figure it out later, don’t worry. Besides, I didn’t lie completely. I’m having lunch with someone who’s cute, just not a boy.” He winks.
