Page 14 of Beneath the Surface

But amazing things belong to amazing people. And I’ve never fit that mold.

Shaking out of my reverie, I glance around, taking in the bar. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t feel good to get out of the house for something other than work. As much as I miss Chase, I know he’s in good hands with Susan, and it’s been years since I’ve had a night out. My soul aches for the socialization.

Iusedto be the life of the party, getting high off the buzz from the crowds and snorting lines in the bathrooms. Back then, I had to sneak away, because no one knew what I was doing.

Of course they didn’t.

Even when I’ve tried so hard to be seen, I’ve always been invisible.

But then Darryl came along, and he showed me a way to feel better. A way to make my festering insides match my sparkly outside.

And I was sotiredof faking it.

Neither of my best friends, Alina May or Rebecca Jean, would have gotten it. The most they did was steal sips of liquor from Becca’s mom’s hidden cabinet. And Chase definitely wouldn’t have. He’s always been against drugs, ever since we were thrown into the foster system and left to rot.

And rot I did. A pretty shell with a hollow center, mold growing from the inside out.

But unlike my brother, instead of cringing away from it, I leaned into it. After all, it must have been something special to make our mom choose it over us, and I was desperate for something to numb the memories.

Chase’s biggest demon was living with our mother.

Mine was after she left.

“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Annabelle’s friend, Natalie, asks.

I shake my head, pushing the thoughts down deep and pulling up the husk of happiness that I’ve worn my whole life.

“Nothing.” I smile, shaking my head. “It’s just been a while since I’ve been out.”

Annabelle squeals as she looks toward the front door, her face breaking into a beaming smile. “He made it!”

Her eyes sparkle with excitement, a blush skimming over her cheekbones. I’m about to open my mouth and askwhomade it, but heat trickles down my back, making the words stick in my throat. There’s only ever been one person that makes the air shift just bybeingin it, and I haven’t seen him in three days.

I assumed he was gone.

Annabelle’s grin widens as he approaches the table, and she stands up, practically jumping in the air to throw herself around Alex’s body. “You’re here!”

The hairs on my arms stand straight, my stomach roiling with an unfamiliar sensation. He’s loosely wrapped around Annabelle like decoration—a garland of color and art swirling over his veiny hands, disappearing under the sleeves of his long-sleeved Henley. But his dark gaze is on me.

My chest pulls, but I shake it off, smirking. “Well, hi there,friend.”

He releases Annabelle, sitting down, his long legs taking up all of the empty space left under the table. “Hey, little bird.”

My nose scrunches. “Little bird?”

He doesn’t respond, only grins.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” I continue. “I thought you were gone.”

His eyes spark. “Is that how you see me? As someone who would leave without saying goodbye?”

My stomach flips, my heart cinching tight. “I don’t knowwhatyou seem like. We’re strangers, remember?”

He tsks, a smirk pulling up the left side of his face. “You just called us friends. You can’t take that back.”

My brow quirks. “Says who?”

“So, you twoclearlyknow each other,” Natalie interrupts. “I’m Natalie, by the way.”

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