Page 59 of Graves

Z: Text me before you go to bed, angel.

I’m not surprised by his response, and I scroll over to the text thread from Gabby. Her messages started out friendly and normal but quickly turned panicked when days went by with no response. Christian’s are very similar. They go from checking in on me to full-blown panic.

Deciding it’s probably just best to call Gabby, I hit call and wait for her to answer. It doesn’t ring for two seconds before her voice is rambling through the line.

“Thank God! I’ve been going crazy. What the fuck is going on? Your boss said you quit, and your landlord said you moved. What the hell, Blake?” she snaps.

I open my mouth, ready to respond, when Dom walks in from seemingly the shower after his workout in the makeshift gym next to his bedroom. A towel is wrapped around his waist, with a droplet of water falling from his jet-black hair before landing on his toned chest. He watches me with a self-satisfied smirk as I blink several times, shaking myself out of the self-imposed trance I suddenly found myself in.

“I’m sorry. It’s been a crazy week.”

“A crazy week? That’s all you have to say? Where are you?”

“At Dominic’s,” I say, causing his eyebrow to lift in intrigue as he stalks his way over to me.

“Dominic’s? So, what? You moved in with the guy you just started dating?” she scoffs in a tone that oozes judgment.

“It’s notjust. We have been together for?—”

“Months, Blake,” she fills in. “You barely know anything about this guy. And he made you quit your job and give up your apartment? That’s toxic behavior, babe.”

“He didn’t make me do anything,” I defend, though I don’t know why I do. He technically did both of those things.

“Sure, he didn’t. Look, I don’t know what’s going on with your head, but I’m not about to let some smooth-talking asshole grenade your life like this. You’re gonna come stay with us until some sense is knocked into you. Do you think he will let you go willingly, or should we sneak you out tonight?”

I can’t help but let a humorless laugh escape me.

“Whoa, what? No.”

“No?” she questions.

“Yeah, no. I’m not sneaking out. This is my home, and if you don’t like it, then I don’t know what there is to say.”

She’s quiet for several moments before she finally speaks again.

“I’ll call you later when you’ve calmed down. You’re not thinking clearly. You need help.”

I scoff and shake my head.

“I don’t need you gaslighting me into thinking I’m in a toxic relationship, Gabs. I’m fine. You said you liked him, what’s the issue all of the sudden?”

“I like him, sure, but there is something off about him. Something dark. He’s fine as a casual getting out there kind ofthing, but to up and change your whole life for? No, sweetie,” she says in a patronizing tone that grates my nerves.

Looking up at the ceiling, I shake my head as I speak. “Whatever, Gabby.”

Now it’s her turn to scoff. “Whatever Gabby? That’s really all I get? After everything me and my family have done for you? You’re gonna throw years of friendship away because of some guy?”

“No, I’m throwing years of friendship away because you’re a judgmental bitch.”

“Fine. Don’t come crying to me when you end up broken and battered, just like before. I won’t be here. Good luck pulling yourself out of the gutter.”

Without another word, the phone goes dead, and an unbelievable amount of sadness and anger rushes through me. I honestly can’t believe that just happened. Gabby has always been my closest friend, my freaking person. When the world let me down, she didn’t. I don’t care if she had solid points, her attitude was way off. If this was the first time we’ve had a conversation like this over a choice I’ve wanted to make for myself, maybe I could look past it. But this isn’t even close to the first time she’s tried to manipulate me into doing what she thinks is best, what she wants. Even if she’s trying to come from a place of love, she’s out of line, and that last sentence did it for me.

Dominic is just standing there, staring at me as I clutch my phone in my hand and stare at the wall behind him. It takes me at least a minute before I even make eye contact with him.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“It’s fine,” I bite out.

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