Page 23 of Alessia
Before I can answer, my phone buzzes against my ear. A second later, the screen lights up with a name that makes my stomach drop.
Alessia.
I stare at it, pulse spiking. She’s calling me. Right now.
As if she somehow knows that I’m sitting here, unraveling, trying to put my thoughts into something that makes sense.
I swallow hard, my thumb hovering over the screen.
I shouldanswer. Tell her this is over. That I don’t want any part of this.
But I don’t move.
I just let it ring.
“You still there?” Riley asks.
I blink, shaking myself back to the moment.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “I’m here.”
I don’t tell her about the call. I don’t tell her that for a split second, I almost picked up.
Because I don’t want to admit, to Riley or to myself, that some part of me wants to hear Alessia’s voice again. That some part of me is afraid of what happens if I let her go.
The call ends and the screen goes dark.
By the time I finally crawl into bed, exhaustion has settled deep in my bones. But sleep doesn’t come easily.
I stare at the ceiling, my mind replaying every second of tonight. The way Alessia looked at me, the way her voice cracked when she said my name. The weight of her confession pressing against my ribs like a stone I can’t shake off.
I roll onto my side, squeezing my eyes shut.
She lied to you, I remind myself. She built a whole life around something dangerous, something you can’t be a part of. But no matter how many times I repeat it, it doesn’t stop the ache in my chest.
Eventually, exhaustion wins. My body shuts down before my mind can, and I slip into a restless sleep.
The soft glow of morning filters through my curtains, warm against my face. I groan, shifting onto my back, my limbs heavy. My mouth is dry, my head cloudy. Like I barely slept at all. And then my phone buzzes on the nightstand.
I fumble for it, my eyes still half-closed, but the second I see the screen, I’m awake.
Seven missed calls. Five texts.
All from Alessia.
My stomach tightens as I swipe to read the messages.
Alessia:
Harper please.
I know you're angry, but I need to talk to you.
Just let me explain
I don't want to lose you before I even have
the chance to show you who I really am.
