"True love doesn't exist, does it?"
Lizzie Walter has struggled with the belief that love could actually exist. After her parents' failed relationship, Lizzie prefers to stay with her best friend, avoiding making new friends. When she ends up being...
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"Lizzie?"
My breath hitched as I recognized the voice to not be who I had tried to call. I could feel my heart thudding in my chest as I rapidly tried to speak. "I- I'm s-so sorr- sorry, I thought I was calling H- Harper," I managed to get out, my chest tightening as I tried to steady my breathing again.
I vaguely heard the sound of a bed creaking and Hunter's voice sounded through the speaker, "Shhh, breathe Lizzie, take a deep breath with me. In," I tried to inhale while I heard him breathe in loudly, attempting to match his, "And then out. Good, let's do that a few more times."
After about five minutes, my breathing was steady and my tears had dried. "Better?" Hunter asked, and I could almost hear a small tinge of worry in his tone. I nodded slightly, before realizing he couldn't see me.
"Yeah, a little," I mumbled, my throat aching from my sobs earlier. Hunter cleared his throat.
"Good, that's, uh, good." It was quiet for a few moments, although I could still hear the yelling coming from downstairs. A glass bottle shattered, and I could tell Hunter had heard it, or he heard my wince at the noise. "Lizzie? You alright-" I cut him off.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I tried to make my voice stern, but it cracked slightly and I heard him shift.
"No, you're not. I'll come pick you up, I'll be there in ten, alright?" I wanted to tell him no, that I was fine, and that there was no reason to worry, but I couldn't seem to get the words out.
"Okay," My tone was soft, and I felt another tear slowly fall down my cheek, tracing over the forming bruise under my eye. Hunter muttered something, and then the phone hung up after a moment, leaving me to sit in the silence of my room with the sounds of muffled screaming coming from downstairs.
Like Hunter said, it only took him about ten minutes before my phone vibrated with his short message, notifying me he was outside. I was quick to stand, although my legs almost gave out from me sitting in the same spot for a while, making my way quietly out of my room and down the stairs, trying not to be noticed by my arguing parents. They had gotten quieter, which was scarier than them screaming.
By the time I reached the front door, I heard a noise from behind me and I glanced backwards to see both parents moving out of the kitchen, my mother's eyes red and Justin with a hard glint. I grasped the handle after unlocking it, looking at my mother who gave me a small smile and nod, letting me know that it was okay to get out of there. Justin's face darkened as he watched my movements.
"Where do you think you're going?" I flinched at his voice, my hand almost slipping off the door handle.
"Out," I muttered, opening the door and attempting to exit the house. Justin's hand grasped my wrist for the second time that day. I winced at his grip, quickly trying to tug my wrist out of his grip before he could pull me back into the house.
