Page 88 of Wild Hearts

CHAPTER THIRTY

Wren

“HOW IS EVERYONE?” AIRLIE’Sconcerned voice floats down the phone. She feels so far away, and I miss her like crazy.

I sigh. “No change. Lachy’s still not talking to anyone, Jordan’s out partying every night, and Brady’s...”

“I love you, Brady.”

It’s been three weeks since I said those four words to Brady, but we’ve barely had a moment to ourselves to talk. We’ve been caught up with classes, assignments and trying to support our friends.

Maribel’s funeral service was a beautiful, heart-warming celebration of her life and the love that she had for her family. But Jordan was angry that she’d kept her prognosis from them. Brady has been staying at the Rossi’s, trying to keep his best mate from falling too far in his self-destructive behaviour of booze and girls.

Lachy, on the other hand, has withdrawn into himself, refusing to see anyone. Even Brady said he can hardly get two words out of him. It’s eating Ivy up inside that she can’t do anything, but Harley and I keep reassuring her that he just needs some time to grieve in his own way.

“Well, Brady’s been staying with Jordan and trying to keep him from doing anything stupid.”

“That sucks,” Airlie says. “How’s Ivy holding up?”

“Not great,” I admit. Harley and I have been trying to be there for her, but all she wants is to be there for Lachy. “She’s hurt that Lachy’s pushing her away.”

“Understandable,” Airlie says. A muffled voice comes through from her end and I snicker.

“Airlie Elizabeth Calder! Is that a boy I hear?”

“Yeah.” She covers the mouthpiece and all I can hear is an indistinguishable conversation. “It’s no one.” Her cagey response has me wondering what’s going on with her. We’ve never kept secrets from each other. “So,” she continues, trying to distract me. “You and Brady haven’t had the chance to talk since your big reveal?”

My stomach twists. “Phone calls, but we haven’t spoken about that. It’s not the kind of conversation you have over the phone.”

“But you told him and the world didn’t come to an end,” she points out. “In fact, things seem to be going really well?” I can hear the smirk in her voice. “Am I allowed to say, ‘I told you so’ yet?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s early days, Airlie. Like I said, we haven’t had the chance toreallytalk yet.”

More muffled sounds from the mysterious guy come from her end of the phone.

“Wren–”

Whatever Airlie was about to say is interrupted by the buzzing from the security camera to my apartment.

“I’ve got to go,” I say, getting off my bed and rushing out to the living room to buzz in Harley and Ivy. “I’ll chat to you soon, ‘kay? I wanna hear more about this mysterious boy.”

She sighs. “Yeah, chat soon. Love you.”

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