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“Because I’ve been tired,” she admitted, pulling on her drenched sleeves. “And I can’t sleep no matter what I do.” Shrugging, she pointed toward the meadow and said, “I’ve been hiding out in the fields all week during school hours, hoping my dad doesn’t catch me.”
“You should tell Pierce that,” I forced myself to say, even though it nearly killed me to do it. “He’s, ah, he’sworriedabout you.”
“I don’t want to talk to him,” she squeezed out, looking up at me with a guilty expression. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”
“You just feel that way today,” I sighed. “Because you’re off your meds.”
“I’m afraid to go back on them,” she admitted then, giving me the first glimpse of the real her in months. “I’m afraid to remember everything.”
“Liz.” My heart cracked. “Flipping in and out of reality is no way to live.”
“I know.” Tears filled her eyes. “But it’s better than living without you.”
I wanted to go to her.
Despite everything, I wanted to pull her into my arms.
Because I was so damn deeply in love with this girl that it physically hurt to stand here and notholdher.
“I love you,” she sniffled, using her shoulder to wipe her cheek. “No matter what.”
“I love you, too.” I couldn’t stop myself from responding. And I clearly loved her no matter what because my feelings still stood despite the cheating and heartbreak.
“Do you want to come inside?”
I shook my head. “I can’t do that, Liz.”
“It’s pouring rain,” she reminded me, pointing to the dark-clouded sky. “I won’t try any funny business.”
Yeah, for now. “And what if you change your mind?”
“Then you can leave.” She pushed her front door open and stepped inside. “Please?”
I knew I shouldn’t.
It was a trap.
A bad fucking idea.
But I found myself following her inside.
Despite the red flags shooting up, I walked up the familiar staircase, eyes glued to her ass that she was intentionally swishing in my face as she walked ahead of me.
When she reached the landing, she did a strange, little shimmy past her sister’s door, straining her body as far away from it as humanly possible, before hurrying into her room.
“Where are your parents?” I asked, following her inside the room that had been like my own for years. “Are they out for the day?”
“I’m not sure,” she replied, peeling off her drenched school jumper as she moved straight for her bed. “We’re not exactly on talking terms at the moment.”
My brows shot up. “Even Catherine?”
“Dad doesn’t let me get within a ten-foot radius of Mam,” she explained with a sigh. “He thinks I’m dangerous.”
“You’re not dangerous,” I replied, walking over to her bed and sitting down without even thinking about it.Fuck. “You’re sick. There’s a difference.”
“Why aren’t you shouting at me?” she asked, sitting cross-legged on her bed, facing me. “Why are you so nice?”
“I’m not the shouting type,” I reminded her. “Well, not usually at least.”
