Chloe (Made Men, #3)(18)

Gone, but not forgotten.

Looking down at the new picture, she finally looked at herself. Her hair had grown quite a bit in a short amount of time, and it now grazed the top of her shoulders, showing her that all wounds heal with time, even though time wasn’t on their side …

“We will survive”—Elle closed the book with one last glance at the photo—“together.”





Seventeen





The Last Grain of Sand Had Fallen





Tick. Tock.

Don’t look at the clock.

An hourglass was still broken.

Tick. Tock.

Look at the other clock.

The last grain of sand had fallen.

Tick—

Time was up.





Eighteen





The End or Just the Beginning





It was either going to be the end or just the beginning for Elle. She had made her choice, and now the last piece of the puzzle needed to be added.

Looking at the newspaper on the bus, she saw all the X marks she had made under the classifieds. There was only one place left on the list, and if they turned her away, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

The bus stopping had her getting up to exit, and once she was off the bus, she started second-guessing the whole thing. Downtown Kansas City didn’t seem like a place for a newly fifteen-year-old girl who was alone. Thankfully, it was a quick walk to her destination.

Elle stopped to stare at the diner, looking up at the sign. The D flashed off and on, spelling out “Diner” or “Iner,” depending on the moment you looked at it. She was able to clearly look inside since it seemed like nothing but windows revealing it was very outdated and needed a major deep clean. Finally, her eyes rested on the “Help Wanted” sign that was placed on the door.

In that moment, staring at the sign, a feeling of determination came over her. No matter what, she was going to get what she wanted. She didn’t care how many lies came out of her mouth; it was hers.

Walking up to the door, she pushed on it, taking the first step inside.

That was the moment she decided to flip both hourglasses, causing both to start over. The beginning.





Nineteen





That Was Pre-Pubescent Amo. Puberty Amo Will Be a Jerk





Chloe was, of course, the first one to take her seat or even reach the first class of the day. Beginning to wring her hands, she wondered why she had even tried to look nice today. Her makeup couldn’t cover up the fact that she was a freak, and her long-sleeved, black shirt that matched her black jeans to perfection made her look crazy, considering it was warm outside.

Black was the only color that suited her anymore. It helped her fade into the background, just the way she wanted, and she still hadn’t revealed to the world her other markings. For some dumb reason, she hoped that, since it was a new year, she could finally blend into the background.

The rest of her school days were going to be hell without Elle. She didn’t know how or even if she could do it, but there wasn’t an option. Sophomore year won’t be the same without her… Chloe had nothing and no one to save her. She was trapped and set to die in this school. Elle was at least free, and that made a part of her happy for once. One of us made it out alive.

“You look really pretty today,” A sweet voice standing over her told her.

Chloe hated to look up and see who was about to make fun of her. The last thing she ever got was a compliment, so she knew it was going to turn into a cruel joke. She almost didn’t look, but when she did, her mouth dropped open.

“W-Why are you here? You’re not supposed to be here.”

Elle crossed her arms with a smirk on her face. “You don’t want me here?”

Utter confusion came over Chloe. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, I got a scholarship for my grades to pay part of my tuition, and I got a job to pay the rest of it.” She took a seat in front of her. “You don’t seem very happy. You’re supposed to be happy.”

“I’m n-not. You don’t deserve to be here … because of me.” If Chloe could still cry, she was sure this was a moment in her life when she would. She had hated herself all last year when Elle had been her punching bag, and now she was back here again. Chloe was still too weak and broken to take up for herself and knew it was all going to happen again, no matter how much she hated herself for it.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you I was coming back. I was afraid you might talk me out of it somehow.”

“I am. You’re transferring back.”

Elle laughed. “Won’t work now. It would look really strange to my parents, and I would just have to tell them the truth about what happened to you and why I felt it necessary to come back here for you.”

No, no, no, no! She began shaking her head.

“It’s too late, Chloe.”

She continued shaking her head back and forth. “Why are you doing this?”

Elle turned around in her desk, facing the front. “Because you need me.” Looking back over her shoulder for just a moment, she revealed another truth, “And I need you, too.”

If Chloe were strong, she would shake Elle until she changed her mind. Nevertheless, she wasn’t. She was only weak.