Page 112 of Shadowed Whispers

“Hey, echo.” He smiles at me like I’m his entire world.

I’m not, so I look away, only to see Matteo sitting on my other side. They are sandwiching me between them.

Tori lets out a dreamy sigh just as Andy walks over and slaps a water bottle into Tori’s hand. “Your mom will have my ass if you’re drunker than a skunk at midnight before the eclipse happens.”

Tori hiccups and grabs the water.

“Why are you drinking so early?” It didn’t strike me as odd until just now.

“It’s nothing,” she says behind the water bottle right before she downs half of it.

Matteo grunts. “Lie.”

He’s like my own personal lie detector test. “Alright, spill.”

Andy squints at her, her head tilted to the side. “You know, come to think of it, you aren’t acting right.” She slides into the seat beside Tori.

“If you aren’t comfortable—” I start.

She cuts me off. “It’s not that.” She tightens the cap on her water. “Chloe and Amanda.”

I grind my teeth, holding back from telling her just what I think about those two fake-ass bitches.

“Told you the redhead was no good.” Matteo crosses his arms, leaning back.

Leo clears his throat, a blush heating his face. There is definitely a story there, but now isn’t the time.

“What did they do?” My voice comes out harsher than I intended, but that can’t be helped. Those two are awful humans.

Tori shrugs, but her bottom lip wobbles before she explodes. “Okay, so we were supposed to throw the lunar party ourselves after we realized no one was having a big party. Then, before the weather decided to be unpredictable, we were going to have it at the cove.” She gives me a look, knowing how I feel about them taking over my safe space.

Leo elbows me, reminding me of what we did in the water there. The memory of our secret, stolen moment stirs something deep within me.

Matteo doesn’t miss a beat, his observation skills picking up on every interaction between the two of us.

“Then, when the weather decided to be super stormy for like the tenth month in a row, we knew the cove wouldn’t work out for us, so we decided to have it here,” Tori continues. “When I decided our friendship was shit, they chose to throw their own party at the cove, and they took half the school with them.” A lone tear rolls down her face.

If it were just me, I wouldn’t give a fuck, because no one will ever find me actually throwing a party, but Tori? It’s important to her, and now I feel like it’s important to me. What the hell is happening to me?

“Want me to call the team?” Leo offers. “I bet I can convince them to come out here.”

“Really?” Tori hiccups between tears. Andy softly rubs her shoulders. Popularity still means everything to Tori, but she’s making progress.

“Hell yeah. Let me call.” Leo gets up, his phone already pressed to his ear as he steps out of the bar.

Tori sniffles a little more. “He’s so nice.” More tears. “Chloe wanted to make him a part of her pack.”

There is that word again. Pack. It seems to hold more weight than just a casual group of friends. What does it mean for her… for us?

“Anyway,” Tori rushes on, not even acknowledging that word, “they told me I’d never be popular without them. Chloe said I was just a wannabe, trying to fit in with people who’d never really like me.” Her voice trembles as more tears spill over. “And Amanda... She said I was a charity case. That everyone just tolerates me because they feel sorry for me.”

My blood boils, rage simmering just below the surface. “Those bitches,” I mutter, clenching my fists. “They are wrong, Tori. You don’t need them.”

Matteo’s jaw tightens, his eyes darkening with anger. “They are jealous. They see your kindness as a weakness because they don’t have it in themselves.”

Tori sniffles, trying to smile through her tears. “I know, but it still hurts. They spread rumors about me, Frankie. They told everyone I was desperate and that I’d hook up with anyone just to get attention.”

I feel my nails digging into my palms, barely keeping myself in check. “They are pathetic,” I say through gritted teeth. “And anyone who believes their lies is just as bad.”

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