Page 69 of Leave Me Broken

The frown tugging on her lips lifts and she sighs. “Hey.”

“You okay?”

Her eyes flick in the direction she was staring in, she shrugs. “Totally. Now, tell me about the vampire you got into a fight with.”

My skin burns with her acknowledgment. “Are they really that noticeable?”

She laughs, but it sounds fake. “You look like Edward Cullen invited you over for a sleepover and Jasper was home.”

Great.

Our phones vibrate at the same time, saving me from this embarrassment.

Coach Pearson: I have forwarded the information for flights and hotel stay. Please review and pass along to anyone that will be joining our week in California.

Janelle and I look at each other, sharing the same kind of face. The face that knows we are going to the same state as our third best friend but no clue if we will really see her because she’s not opened our messages in a month. We’ve each received two letters since the first one, but they were generic. A little about her modeling and nothing about any letters we have sent her. It doesn’t make any sense, and one of the nights I stayed with Janelle, we tried reaching out to her mom but her number changed. They are both MIA on Facebook. The whole situation is weird, which is why we aren’t sure if we should be excited about seeing her when we aren’t even sure we will. For all we know she could be in Milan, Paris, or some other place models hang out.

As if she knows we are wondering about her our phones ding with a message. Our eyes grow wide and we click on the chat at the same time.

Ronni: Can’t wait to see you both!

That’s it? She’s not texted us in a month, not called, not communicated in any kind of normal way and that’s the message we get?

“What the fuck is this shit?”

Well, at least I’m not alone with my thoughts. “I don’t know.”

Janelle’s fingers fly feverishly over the keyboard on her phone.

Jay: That’s all we get? Where the fuck have you been?

Me: we miss you, Ron. This is weird.

Ronni: See you guys soon!

I pinch my eyebrows; Janelle slams her phone on the table and the rest of our team eyes us, waiting for answers we won’t give them because we don’t know either. Whatever is going on with Ronni will be figured out at Week of Pink. I’m not leaving California without knowing what the hell is happening with my best friend.

23

Ash

I knock on the wooden door, noticing the hinges probably need some care.

It takes a minute but Payson’s granddad pulls open the door with a surprised look on his face. He’s wearing a blue plaid flannel and slacks like most days I see him. Which is quite often. This is another secret I haven’t told Payson but there’s no way she could get hurt from me visiting with her granddad during the day. It started as a way to be around someone connected to Payson, a way to hear more stories and put pieces of my girlfriend together. I still love saying that—but now it’s more so him. Paul Murphy is a brilliant man, and I couldn’t be more thrilled Payson was blessed with at least one good and consistent person in her life.

“Coach, you’re late. I didn’t think you would be coming today.”

He steps aside and I duck as I walk into the small double-wide. The ceiling is maybe an inch or two taller than me but the doorways are five inches shorter. Perfect for the small man in front of me.

“I apologize, sir. Had a few things to handle this morning that took longer than expected.”

He waves me off and shuts the door before heading over to the coffee machine like every other time I’m here. I take my seat at the table where we will have a terrible but warm cup of tea before moving to the living room where we will chat and watch whatever gameshow is on TV. I don’t come every day, but I try at least once sometimes twice a week.

My eyes catch on how much his arm is shaking as he pours the hot water from the kettle into two cups. His shaking has gotten worse since I was here last week. I wonder if anyone is keeping an eye on that. His daughter comes up here daily, as does her husband so I’m hopeful they have noticed. His cheeks seem more translucent and sunk in than rounded like they once were. I know elderly skin can become like that over time, but I’ve only known Paul for a few months, I wouldn’t notice that if it was gradual. Which tells me its more drastic than it should be.

I’ll chalk it up to the stroke and how much that wore his body down, for now. I wonder if Payson has noticed this stuff. Now that we are better and together, I could ask her, but I’m worried how she will handle talking about the health of her granddad in a negative way. My guess is not well.

She’s doing so good right now I don’t want to go back on the progress she’s made.

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