Page 146 of Ominous: Part 1
She deserves far better than me.That’s why.
But all I tell Janelle is, “Luna knows what this is and what it won’t ever be.”
Janelle doesn’t back down, though. “Why can’t Eden know that too?”
But that’s the thing, isn’t it?
I look down at Eden’s text, surprised she responded so fast.
Her: I don’t want to talk to you right now.
I stare at my screen a long time, rubbing my thumb over it, like I could reach her through the phone. I think of her scream. I never want to hear that sound again in my life.
Me: Are you hurt?
I keep looking at my screen, like she’ll reply immediately, even though I have a feeling she won’t. Only when the message goes dim do I answer Janelle her final question of the night.
“She does know. The difference is we both want to imagine it might be different for us.”
Janelle doesn’t speak for long seconds, until she says, Jean probably dancing through her mind, “But it won’t be.”
And I know my own history better than anyone, so it takes nothing to repeat those words back to her, like a nail in the coffin.“But it won’t be.”
24
Eden
“What happened?”
I jump at the sound of Sebastian’s voice, snatching my hand to my chest and flipping off the cold water, my wrist still swollen since Eli twisted it yesterday. “Why didn’t you knock?” I counter, turning to watch as he leans against the doorjamb, hands in his khaki pants.
His eyes drop to my hand, and I shove both of mine into the pocket of my black hoodie, pulled on over my bra and pajama shorts. He’s shirtless, and his chest is birdlike, as thin as he is. I feel something deep in my own chest, looking at his. A pull, a tightening. It’s like being at the top of a rollercoaster ride, I imagine, knowing there’s nowhere to go but down. I feel a little sick, looking at his ruin.
“The door was open.”
I glance at it, then the hallway beyond, the orange light spilling over the thin carpet. He’s right, I guess. It’s late, Mom and Reece are both asleep, I just forgot to close it all the way.
“Why are you still here?” It sounds like an accusation. I’m glad he is, I just don’t want him to circle back to his original question.
He rolls his eyes. “I stay in sometimes.”
“Have you applied for a job yet?” I smile nastily at him, propping my hip against the sink.
He lifts his middle finger but he’s smiling too, before he slips his hand back into his pocket. He jerks his chin toward me, glancing down, and my heart sinks, knowing he isn’t going to let it go. “What happened, E?”
My mind goes over every option in what feels like a nanosecond. Lie, and pretend I don’t know what he’s talking about. Tell him the truth. Or fake a different accident. I go with the latter, but blend it in with a little truth. “Slammed my hand in my car door.”
Seb blows his wispy blond strands out of his eyes, raising his brows as he does. “Sounds bad.”
“It was fantastic.”
He grins, flashing yellowed teeth. “You’re such a little smart ass, you know that?”
I shrug, my heart thumping hard. “Can you leave me alone now?”
“You didn’t eat dinner last night.”
“I wasn’t hungry.”
