Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
“Tell me why. At least give me a reason,” she begs, dropping her bag on the ground.
“It was an accident,” I mutter, raindrops rolling down my cheeks. “I didn’t mean to kill her. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but …” I pause to take a breath. “That night, Mavis and I made a pact.”
She frowns, shivering in the rain, as her baggy pants and blue butterfly shirt slowly become soaked, and I can’t help but smile at the irony. “What pact?”
This is why I didn’t want Grey to show her the footage.
Why I didn’t want her to find out what truly happened to Mavis.
It’s going to break her.
“We were going to jump together …” I swallow. “And give up.”
CHAPTER 50
Levi
The night of Mavis’s death
After Mavis scared everyone in the woods with the props she set up while everyone was busy at the campsite, everyone went to bed, except us two.
I don’t know why, but her little spooky adventure didn’t do much for me. I guess when you’re too busy trying to make contact with the girl who’s been avoiding you for months, nothing grabs your attention anymore.
I sigh and sit down against a tree near the ledge where we made our jumps into the water, listening to the water break against the rocks.
“Are you moping around again?” Mavis says as she sits down beside me.
I roll my eyes. “I’m not moping.”
“Yeah, you are.” She nudges me with her elbow. “C’mon, you can tell me.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It wouldn’t be nothing if it’s been bothering you all this time. Tell me. I promise I won’t tell a soul.”
I lower my gaze and draw in the earth with a twig I found. “You know, I always imagined things would go differently between Aspen and me.”
“Oh … you’re talking about how she’s been ignoring you?”
I shrug. “I don’t understand it, and it’s pissing me off.”
“Sometimes girls do that.”
“You think?”
“I know so.” She snorts. “Girls can be fickle. One day they’re interested, then the next they’re aloof.”
“Right.” I draw some stick figures in the ground. “But we’ve known each other for so long. We used to be friends, but then she started pulling away.”
“You’re worried she doesn’t like you anymore?”
I suck in a breath. “She won’t even look at me.”
She nods a few times. “I get it.” She scoots closer. “You know, I feel the same way about a guy I know. Someone I’m close with.” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “I was head over heels, but he never saw me the same way, and then he fell for another girl, so I pretended I never felt anything for him, and I … just gave up.”
“I’m sorry. He doesn’t know what he lost.”
She smiles. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“I mean it.” I smile back.
“I think these things just happen sometimes. People are like bugs.”
“Bugs?” I frown, snorting.
“Yeah. They start small, dependent, crawling all over you, and friends with everyone. And then they weave this cocoon around their heart and hide from the world.”
“I’m not getting the analogy here.”
“When the bug is finally done growing, it’s turned into a moth or a butterfly, a completely new being. And then it flies away and might never see its fellow bugs again.”
“That’s depressing.”
“Yup …” She stares off at the waves in the distance. “But you know, sometimes those bugs might just randomly fly into each other.”
I look at her, and she looks at me, and I don’t think we’re talking about bugs anymore.
“As for me, I’m kind of done trying to fly,” she mutters.
“Hmm …” I get what she’s saying, but I don’t know if I could ever see it in that kind of light.
“I don’t think she’ll ever fly back to me.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
The sudden question catches me off guard. “W-what?”
“It’s hard to hide when you’re in that deep,” she says, grinning. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Aspen. Or anyone else.” She grabs my arm. “As long as you don’t tell anyone what I told you either.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” I say.
“Good. Because I don’t think I’ll ever, ever recover.”
I snort. “You’d hex me if I tried.”
“Damn right I would.”
We both laugh, and for a moment, I don’t feel so alone in my head.
“You know what? Fuck ’em,” she says.
I’m still lost in thought. “Who?”
“Them. Those fuckers don’t love us back.” She gets up and pats her legs. “I’m done waiting around, wasting my life for someone who’s not interested. You and I are in the same boat. We should cheer each other on in finding a new partner. A new life. A new obsession.”
I look up at her. “What do you mean?”
She holds out her hand. “Let’s make a pact.”
“But we’re not—”
“Screw it. Even if we weren’t friends, we’re friends now. We’re bonded for life, man. We exchanged secrets. I don’t do that with everyone.”