Page 72 of Untruly With You

“So, where is Laine?” Mom asks.

I clear my throat. “We thought it would be best for her to go.”

Cassidy still hasn’t spoken, so I turn my attention to her. To my surprise, her eyes are red, tears threatening to fall over the edges of her lashes.

“I’m sorry, Cass. It was pathetic. I know you were planning on having her in the wedding, and I know this will probably mess things up. But I want to make it right—or as right as I can. I’ll pay you back for Laine’s bridesmaid dress, flowers, everything.” Cassidy opens her mouth, probably to object, so I quickly add, “It’s the least I can do. Please.”

Cassidy purses her lips, mulling over my words. After a painfully long pause, she says, “I really believed you loved her.”

33

LAINE

By the timeI get to my apartment building, I’m seconds from collapsing. It’s just past midnight, and the city is as loud as ever. Have there always been so many cars? This many people? Before going inside, I look up at the sky, just to be sure. Of course, there are hardly any stars. And even the darkness isn’t as rich as it was in Montana.

After nearly falling asleep in the elevator, I finally make it to my familiar door. Exhaustion even affects my fingers, and I fumble with my keys. The door opens before I can even unlock it myself.

“Laine!” Dad says, pulling me to him.

Mom is with us in an instant, piling in on the hug.

My bed calls to me. Nervous that my legs might give out in mere seconds, I push away from my parents’ grasp to lie belly-down on the cheap mattress.

I feel Mom sit beside me, but I can’t even work up the energy to open my eyes.

“Laine, baby,” she hums, shaking my shoulder. “Laine, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I mumble out, voice muffled by the cushion. “What are you doing here?”

“Sutton told us you were coming back early,” Dad explains, stooping down close to me. “Can we talk about what happened?”

I mumble out something resembling, “Not now.”

“Okay,” my parents whisper in unison.

Within seconds, one of them is draping a throw blanket over me, and I hear the other roll my suitcase into my room. I’m already half-asleep when I pick up on their quiet conversation.

“Do you think she’s sick?” Dad whispers from the farthest spot in my apartment, which means he’s only ten feet from me.

“No. She wouldn’t fly home if she was sick. You know Sutton wouldn’t let her leave before he nursed her back to health.”

“You think it was about him, then?”

Mom sighs. “Why did they think that lie would end well?”

“We should call Sutton again, don’t you think? Whatever happened, I can’t imagine he’s in good shape either.”

No, I want to shout out.Don’t call.But my body is completely depleted. My eyelids weigh fifty pounds each.

“Sutton?” Dad asks, his voice sounding far away as I slip deeper and deeper into sleep. “Yes, she’s safe.”

When I wake latein the morning, it feels like there are a hundred needles drilling into my temples. After finally mustering the courage to open my eyes, I see a glass of water and two aspirin pills on the side table.

A dozen missed calls and texts wait for me, but I scrollpast any from the Davises until one from Ophelia jumps out at me.

Just emailed you the information for our Zoom meeting.

I sigh, devouring the single crumb of relief I feel. As anxious as I am about my subpar work forWonderingsMagazine, it’s a welcome distraction.

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