By Your Side(64)

“Yes. Letter in hand, telling me all about her new friend Autumn.”

“How did she find you?”

“Followed the address forwarding trail.”

“But she wasn’t supposed to do that. She said she just wanted to send you a letter with important stuff that you’d need to know about yourself. And she was going to wait until I got back to her. She was going to wait until I could talk to you first.”

“She lies. All the time. Whatever it takes to get what she wants.”

“I’m so sorry. I just wanted to fix things.”

“Why?” He finally looked at me and I wanted him to look away. There was so much hate there.

“I don’t know. I wanted to help.” A single tear spilled out and I wiped it away quickly. “She said she’d changed. I . . .” What was I thinking?

“I am not your secret little charity case, Autumn.”

“Secret? You’re not a secret.”

“Aren’t I, though?”

“I . . .” Not on purpose. I thought he hadn’t wanted to be seen with me at school. “I told Lisa about you . . . about us. And my brother.”

“Stay out of my business,” he said. “You said just a distraction. No attachments. This is way beyond attachment if you feel the need to try to fix my life.”

I nodded, more tears spilling over. “Don’t worry, you just cured me of any attachment.”

He opened the car door, got out, and slammed it behind him. Then he walked away. I stayed there, my heart hurting so bad it felt like someone was squeezing it in their fist. I didn’t leave until I calmed my racing heart and cried away all my tears and any feelings I had about Dax with them. Maybe he had done me a favor.





CHAPTER 44


The texting started the next morning as I lay in bed, taking a mental health day. Or maybe it was a broken heart day. Either way, I needed some time off, and my mom agreed.

Lisa: Where are you?

Me: Not feeling well, staying home for a couple of days.

Lisa: Oh no! Can I bring you soup?

Me: No, I’ll be better soon.

Lisa: Hopefully by this weekend because it should be epic.

Wednesday.

Jeff: I got out of the hospital today! Can you come see me? I’m bored.

Me: Congrats! I can’t come today. I stayed home from school. But maybe I’ll come by your house tomorrow.

Thursday.

Lisa: Are you still sick? I’ll wear a mask if you let me come visit.

Me: No mask needed. I’m feeling a lot better.

Lisa: Yay! Just in time for the basketball game tomorrow.

Me: Not sure if I’m going to that.

Lisa: Jeff will be there.

Me: Is Dallin still throwing him the party on Saturday?

Lisa: Yes.

Me: I’ll try to come to that. I’ll probably skip the basketball game.

Lisa: Why?

Me: Believe me, it’s a good choice.

A couple of hours later as I lay wrapped in my down comforter watching a movie, I got another text.

Jeff: I thought you were coming over today.

Me: Stayed home again.

Jeff: You okay?

Me: Feeling a lot better.

Jeff: Good. I miss you.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I missed him too. Just like I missed all my friends. But that was all it was. Friendship. And I needed to tell him that. Maybe that was another reason I had stayed home all week. I was good at avoidance.

Friday.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay here alone?” my mom asked. She was all dressed up and heading off to her work party with my dad.

“I’m positive.” I tugged on my fingers. “I’m sorry I’m not going with you. I promised Dad I would when he told me I could go up to the cabin.”

She smiled. “Oh please, this would be like torture for you. Besides, you didn’t end up at the cabin, so you’re breaking no promises.”

“This is true.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Thanks for letting me stay home this week.”

“Of course. You need to take care of yourself.”

“I know. That’s why I’m staying home from the basketball game tonight too. Just the thought of it makes me cringe.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I think you sometimes worry too much what your friends will think if you don’t go somewhere and not enough about how you’re feeling.”

“I know. Well, now I know. I’m working on it.” Dax had been wrong. I hadn’t needed to make a big announcement about my anxiety to my friends, I just needed to learn how to say no to them and take better care of myself.

She patted my cheek. “I love you, kid. Be good.”

“I will.”

The doorbell rang at 6:45 and I thought about not answering it. I wasn’t expecting anyone and I didn’t want to talk to a salesperson. But then it rang again, and I sighed and walked to the front door. When I opened it, I saw one second of Dallin’s smiling face before he threw a pillowcase over my head.

I screamed and tried to pull it off but then my hands were bound to my sides by some sort of rope or tape.

“Your presence has been requested,” Dallin said. “You are being kidnapped.”