"And it took me a while to realize it, but everything I've had to go through in this life, all the pain and sadness I've had to bear . . . well, its led me straight to you."
• • •
After tragedy strikes Mo...
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After the assembly ends, I wait by the auditorium doors to confront the boy who broke my heart and the girl who unintentionally helped him out in the process. Once I'd picked myself up off of the bathroom floor and wiped the tears from my cheeks, I'd realized that I have nothing left to lose. I don't owe Lacey or Jack anything, but both of them owe me answers.
Unsurprisingly, Lacey is the first to waltz out of the auditorium doors, the smirk she wears suggesting that she doesn't regret any of her former actions. In fact, I'm sure she's reveling in the success of her plan, lighthearted by my misery. At least one of us is happy.
"You win." My voice is weak as I address Lacey, who pauses before me as she exits the auditorium. I took refuge on the ground as I waited for the assembly to end, so I sit with my back against the wall and my knees pulled up to my chest protectively as I look up at Lacey with my eyes all red and puffy, cheeks flushed and tear-stained. "I'm done fighting with you, Lacey. I'm just . . . done." My voice falters as I force out the words, threatening to break altogether. "So you win. I hope you're happy."
I have to be seeing things, because Lacey's smile seems to momentarily fade as she glances down at me. For nothing more than a second, Lacey's satisfied sneer morphs into an expressionless stare, her blue-eyed gaze undecipherable. Just as quickly, she returns to smirking down at me, tossing her glossy blond hair over her shoulder, vengeance gleaming brightly in her eyes.
"I am," Lacey taunts, shrugging her shoulders aloofly. "Very happy, actually. Now you know I'm someone who should never be crossed. And you can't say I didn't warn you." Practically drowning in her own ecstasy, Lacey waves down at me before blowing a mocking kiss my way. "Have a nice life, Morgan," Lacey snips, whirling on her heel and sashaying down the hallway. I watch her go, too tired to do anything but let her. I could run after her, could tell her off and stand up for myself, but I'm just so tired of it all. I'm tired of caring about Lacey's antics and letting her words get to me. I'm tired of everything, in fact. Numb. I'm tired to the point of feeling numb.
When I notice Jack emerge from the auditorium, I can hardly stand to look at him. The numbness within me replaces itself with a fresh bout of pain, coursing through my veins and stabbing every inch of my skin. Jack's gaze drifts to where I sit on the ground, and as much that I pray he'll look away, he refuses to look anywhere else. Yet he doesn't move to walk toward me, either, so I drag myself to my feet and force myself to join him. Standing before Jack, I watch as the hallway quickly empties around the two of us, leaving us alone.
"Is it true?" I finally manage to whisper in a ragged voice once I tire of staring at Jack, needing the truth. My throat is hoarse from all the crying I've been doing, all the evidence needed to prove that statement painted across my face. No one has to look at me very hard to see how much what I just went through hurt me.
"Morgan—"
"Is it true, Jack?" I snap in a harsher tone, cutting Jack off before he can try to lie his way out of this situation. I don't want to hear his excuses; I don't want to hear anything but the truth. Because I'm afraid that if I let him fill my head with sweet nothings, I'll fall for his words and crawl back to his side. And I can't let that happen, can't let myself get hurt like this again.
