Page 54 of Only Fate

“Suit yourself.” I yawn again, this one longer, and wrap the blanket tighter around my body. “Pretty sure I’m about to crash out and will make for poor company.”

“You never make for poor company, Essie. In fact, you’ve always been my favorite company.”

As much as I want to argue, my eyes are too heavy.

Right before they shut, I catch Adrian watching me intently.

18

Apillow hitting my head wakes me up.

“Ouch,” I hiss, rubbing the spot it hit.

“You’re drooling on my pillow,” Essie says from the couch.

“I wasn’t drooling.” I wipe my mouth to check and smile. “But tell me, is it worse to drool or snore? Because, babe, you snore like no other.”

She tosses another pillow at me. “I don’t snore.”

I didn’t plan to fall asleep, but I didn’t get much last night. Thoughts of Essie wouldn’t leave my mind.

“How are you feeling?” I ask her.

Well enough to throw things, it seems.

“Like I was hit by a truck.” She rubs her tired eyes. “It must be the Adrian Annoyance Flu.”

I chuckle. “Or the Adrian Lovebug.”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re so cheesy.”

“Do you feel okay to talk?”

This isn’t the best timing, but I need to let it out. If I don’t, I swear I’ll explode. Every day we don’t have this talk, regret eats at me deeper. We both deserve for her to hear my truth.

She rolls her neck and shoulders, avoiding eye contact. “Talk about what?”

“Why I disappeared.”

“What if”—she picks at a loose thread on the throw pillow—“I don’t want to know?”

“Why wouldn’t someone want to know why they were ghosted?”

“You admit it, then? You ghosted me?”

Shit, wrong word to use.

And who the fuck says ghosted anymore?

I’m not some teenager on Snapchat.

The air is heavy as we stare at each other.

She waits for me to speak.

“I found something out that made me question everything I’d thought growing up,” I start.

Tension rolls up my neck.

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