The Secrets We Keep (Formally WAIT)

Chapter 54

It's been five months and the trial starts tomorrow. I've been in therapy and the nightmares have finally stopped.

I went back to school a week after Thanksgiving. When Becca came back from her family vacation she came over and we both cried as I told her what happened. It was weird to share so much information with someone, but it made us grow so much closer. Avery was sent to go live her mom who lived upstate and Ryder stopped hanging around his lacrosse friends. When I came back word had got around about some of what happened. Of course, the rumors that circled were outrageous and far from the truth, but Becca and her fiery spirit were quick to shut anyone up that stared or whispered around us.

Ryder, Becca and I have become the closest. We ended up telling Ryder about our kiss and it was awkward but hilarious at the same time. His expression was priceless. We completely had him drooling when we asked him jokingly if he wanted to watch us do it again. We got our faces centimeters apart before bursting into laughter and punching him playfully for being such a horndog.

I'm currently sitting on the floor of my room while Ryder is laying across the bed with his head hanging over the edge watching as Becca paints my nails.

"There," she says inspecting her work with pride.

I blow on the pink glossy nail polish and lay back stretching my back from being hunched over for so long.

My stomach is in knots about having to speak on the stand tomorrow.

"It's gonna be fine, Lys," Ryder says peeling me away from my thoughts.

"I know," I say sighing, "it's just gonna be the first time I've seen him since he left me at Gino's."

Becca gives me a sad face and walks into my closet shifting hangers on the rack.

"I'm sorry. But this will be the last time. And then it's over."

I blow out a big breath and sit up looking at Bec.

"Becca, what are you doing?"

"Picking out your clothes for tomorrow," she says as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Why?" I ask approaching the closet.

"Hm? Oh, well you gotta look good. Show those mother f*ckers you're a badass b*tch."

She holds a jumpsuit up to my body and nods in content.

"Here hold this," she says brushing past me and going to my dresser.

"And wear this," she hangs a necklace on the hanger.

I roll my eyes and hang it on the hook on the back of my door.

"Let's eat," she says grabbing her purse, "I'm hungry."

She waits for us in my bedroom doorway and I hold out my hand for Ryder to climb off the bed.

"Pizza?" She asks as we head through the house.

"You always want pizza," Ryder teases.

"Well, I like what I like," she says flipping him the bird.

I laugh at them and smile at how much I'm going to miss them when we go off to college.