She sucks in a harsh breath. Guilty. “Is that what he told you?”
“I shouldn’t be having this conversation with you.” Damn it, why am I still talking to this bitch? “I’m hanging up now. Don’t bother calling me again.”
Before she can get another word out, I end the call, throwing the phone across the room so it hits the wall and bounces on the carpet with a satisfying thud.
But I’m still not satisfied. I’m mad. At myself for answering the damn call and listening to what she had to say. At Adele for contacting me when I explicitly told her I refused to talk to her ever again.
I broke my own rule, though, didn’t I? So how can I blame her when I’m just as guilty?
My phone dings from where it sits on the floor and I go pick it up, dreading to see if it’s a text from Adele.
But it’s not.
Are you out of class yet?
Despite my anger, I smile and answer Fable.
Yeah. What’s up?
Can you come get me?
I’m typing my answer when another text from her comes through.
I understand if you’re busy. I just…need to see you.
Worry crashes through me and I tell her give me ten minutes.
* * * *
She’s waiting for me at the foot of the stairwell that leads to her front door and I pull up beside her. She climbs into the truck and slams the door, staring straight ahead as if she can hardly look at me, and I’m quietly freaking out.
“Are you okay?” I slip the truck into park, my nerves doing somersaults in my stomach. She’s not acting right.
A sigh escapes her and she slowly shakes her head. “I got into a fight with my mom.”
“Just now?”
“A few hours ago.” She hangs her head, staring at her lap. “I said terrible things to her. What’s worse is I don’t regret it.”
“Hours ago? Fable, why didn’t you call me sooner?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
Holy shit. Does she not get it? I’d go to the ends of the earth for her. After everything she’s done for me. How selfless she is, how she always, always comes to my rescue…
Reaching out, I settle my hand on her slender shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze. “I can’t help you if you don’t let me in.”
Fable releases a shuddering breath and finally looks at me. Her skin is pale, her expression emotionless. “I’m used to doing things on my own, you know? I’ve never had anyone on my side. Not really.”
“Not Owen?”
“He doesn’t count since he’s just a kid.”
“Well, he definitely came rushing to your defense when he punched me yesterday,” I point out.
A little smile appears and she rolls her eyes. “He was sorta amazing when he did that, huh?”
“My jaw still hurts.” I run my hand over the spot where his fist connected with my face.
“I’m sorry.” She doesn’t sound sorry at all and I let it go. If she was my sister and some jackass had broken her heart, I would’ve done the same thing.
“Fable.” Her gaze jerks to mine once more. “I want to be there for you. Always. I know I’ve not proven myself to you yet but I will. I swear. I want to make a promise to you.”
She clears her throat, looking nervous. “What sort of promise?”
Reaching across the center console, I grab her hand and lace our fingers together. “No matter what, from this day forward, I’m here for you. You need me and I’ll come running.”
Her lips part, like she’s going to say something, but then she presses them together with a wince. “I want to believe you, I do. But I’m afraid you’ll leave me again. And I don’t know if I could take that.”
I squeeze her hand tight. “What can I do to prove to you I won’t leave. Tell me. I’ll do it.”
“You’ll do anything?”
“Anything.” I nod furiously, my heart aching. If she rejects me, I’ll lose it. But I’ve also asked for it. She’s fragile right now. Me walking back into her life, the fight with her mom, her worry over her brother… She takes on so much. There’s only so much a person can handle before they reach their breaking point.
She releases a harsh breath. “I want to pretend we have a normal, fun relationship. No worries, no stress. I want to forget about my mom, how I’m going to pay the bills, where I’m going to find a new place to live—”
“Wait a minute.” I cut her off. “You’re looking for a new place to live?”
“I’ve thought about it,” she admits. “The rent’s a lot here since it’s a three-bedroom and my mom’s never there. She uses our place for storage more than anything. I want to find a cheaper place for just Owen and me.”
My mind is spinning with ideas, all of them involving Fable and her brother moving in with me.
She’d laugh in my face. We’ve been back together—if you could call it that—what? A couple of days? No way would she move in with me.
“But I don’t want to worry about any of that right now,” she says firmly as she pulls her hand from mine. She waves it in the air, as if dismissing all of her problems with a flick of her fingers. “I’m sick of worrying and being stressed out over money, what Owen’s doing, if he’s getting good grades, if he’s lying to me. Worrying about my mom and what she’s doing and why she hates us so much.”
“She doesn’t hate—”
“She hates us,” Fable repeats, interrupting me. “She hates me especially. We’re a burden to her. If she could make us disappear, she probably would.”