Page 84 of A Dead Girl's Guide to Living
Ellis got out of the car without a word.
I watched, wide-eyed, pulse pounding in my ears, as she stumbled toward an open field without even a glance back. Her movements were stiff, her shoulders drawn.
She kept going.
And going.
When she reached the center of whatever overgrown paddock she’d marched into, she just... stopped. She stood there like something inside her was rattling loose, her chest rising and falling as if it hurt to breathe.
Then, without warning, she tipped her head back and screamed.
It wasn’t just a sound. It was a tearing, full-bodied, throat-aching rip of whatever she’d been keeping inside. The noise echoed through the stillness, tearing a hole in the peace of the land, harsh and jagged, carrying more pain than I thought she was capable of holding.
It punched right through me.
She caught her breath for a moment, then screamed again. And again. Another. Each one seemed to shake something loose, an invisible weight growing lighter and lighter around her. And then... nothing. She bent down, crouching like her legs had given out, and dropped her head into her hands.
Next to me, Liv let out a soft exhale. “Well, you should go talk to her then.”
I turned and raised my brows. “Are you serious? You’re the one who triggered a complete emotional purge.”
Liv rolled her eyes and tugged at a loose sequin. “Puh-lease. She needed that. She’s been like a human lockbox for a year, and who even knows what she was likebeforeshe got my heart? All she’s done is stuff down guilt, grief, and confusion, slap on thatI’m fineface, and con her way through therapy and existence. This is the first time I’ve seen anything real. That?” She jerked her chin toward Ellis. “That isprogress, my friend.”
Ellis’s figure looked small in the open field, hunched over like she was trying to fold herself back into something manageable. Something she could control.
“And besides,” Liv added, an edge in her voice, “if we don’t get moving soon, we’ll be late sorting out the Drive-In and stuff. So go be useful. Have a tender moment or whatever.”
I shot her a look as I roughly undid my seatbelt. “Nowyou care about the itinerary?”
Liv shrugged with a smirk and poked my arm. “Look, I’m dead—not disorganized, and I want to make it to the Drive-In.”
I waited half a beat, half hoping she might change her mind. But she just lay back across the seat—on top of Margaret’s ashes, mind you—legs crossed, whistling a tune as she closed her eyes.
I gritted my teeth.
“Can you not lay across my dead grandmother?” I snapped, irritation with her growing.
She ignored me.
I sighed.
I got out of the car, slamming the door with just enough dramatic force, and started across the field toward Ellis. The tall grass brushed my ankles, and I grimaced. I’d definitely havewelts later. Yay, allergies. I stumbled over a few holes, nearly twisted my ankle, and by the time I reached her, I was fed up.
Until her shaky, uneven breaths met my ears, and I thawed immediately.
The annoyance dissolved.
She didn’t even look up as I approached. She just stayed crouched, her head buried in her hands, face hidden.
Shit, I groaned inwardly, rubbing a hand over my face.
“You’ve, uh...” I began awkwardly. “You’ve got a set of lungs on you, that’s for sure.”
Ellis snorted and let out a low laugh. “I’m sorry.”
I took one for the team and sat down, feeling the grass against my thighs, and regretting it immediately.
“Don’t be,” I offered with a sigh. “It was actually impressive. I swear a flock of birds took off when you let that rip.”
