Page 111 of Before We're More Than Friends
Tired of the unwanted attention, I ran into the front yard with tears clouding my vision. Footsteps followed me, and I groaned.
“How do you plan to drive without these?” Arielle said, jangling the keys in her hand. “I can’t let you be on the road like this, Raina. You don’t even drive on a good day.”
I knew she hadn’t meant it as an insult, but it still stung. “Why? Am I that much of a disaster?”
Arielle frowned. “You know that’s not why.”
“I need to be alone right now.”
“When you can barely see? That’s just begging for a wreck.” She opened the driver’s side door and got in. “Oliver says he might finish the bonfire early since everyone is upset now.”
“Why is everyone else upset?” I got in the passenger’s seat and slammed the door. “I was the one being lied to!”
“They’re just confused.” She sighed. “But it’s okay for you to be upset right now.”
“Everyone keeps telling me that, but it doesn’t change what happened.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “It doesn’t stop my heart from breaking.”
“I know.” Arielle looked at me, empathy shining in her eyes. She knew what it was like to be deceived this way. The onlydifference was that she and Hayden had been dating. Dallas and I hadn’t been even close to dating, regardless of his feelings toward me. Regardless of the flutters in my stomach I’d started getting around him.
Regardless of the flutters I’d gotten when he almost kissed me before I stormed away.
He wasn’t about to toy with my heart that way.
Arielle reached for the radio, but I lowered her hand. “Don’t,” I said. “I need silence.”
She nodded before driving out of the neighborhood. Like the drive last night, she didn’t utter a single word.
A part of me softened from the grudge I’d been holding toward her since yesterday. I knew she cared about me, even if she didn’t always know how to express it. She was the better half of me.
I rolled down the window and let the breeze through my hair. I finally stopped crying, forcing myself to push back the spiraling thoughts in my mind. But minutes later, another wave of emotion washed over, and the tears came back in full force.
Would this cycle ever end?
When we got home, Mom was sitting on the couch with a small-town romance book that was trending all over the internet. When she looked up at me, her face fell. “Raina?”
“She had a bad night,” Arielle said as she kicked her shoes off.
“Oh, princess.” Mom put down her book and walked over to me. “I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around me and rubbed my back.
My tears poured onto the back of her crewneck as Arielle joined the hug. The warmth of their bodies soothed the pain in my chest.
“Let it all out,” Mom whispered. “I’m notgoing anywhere.”
There was no way I was going to the shelter on Sunday afternoon. I sent Mrs. Landers an email saying I wasn’t in the right headspace to volunteer and that I’d make up my hours another day. I needed at least one day to process my pain alone.
Gosh, this was so pathetic. It was nothing compared to Dad getting arrested or Mom’s addiction spiraling out of control, but it felt like the end of the world. My friendship with Alex had been everything to me. And I’d enjoyed being around Dallas.
A little too much.
Mrs. Landers was understanding and told me to take care of myself. I still felt a twinge of guilt, knowing I hadn’t volunteered for the entire week Dad had gotten arrested. I loved being at the shelter and knew she didn’t have as many volunteers as she wanted.
I’d turned my text notifications off in the car last night, but I turned them on again Sunday afternoon. My phone buzzed for minutes on end, the red bubble expanding. Most of the texts were from Sienna, who still wanted to know what happened. The rest were from my bandmates asking if I was okay and if I needed anything. Not a single one was from Dallas.
Good. He could shove whatever he wanted to say up his butt.
After I replied to everyone, Sienna asked if she and Gracelynn could come over after dinner. I agreed, even though I didn’t feel like rehashing the situation. Part of me felt bad that she was in the dark about things.
At seven o’clock, Sienna texted me that they were here. I looked out my balcony window to see them standing in our huge driveway, the size of ants. Gracelynn waved at me, and Siennawaved what looked like a cup of coffee. I smiled for the first time today and waved back before leaving my room.
