Page 59 of Room to Breathe

Beau popped his eyebrows at me, probably dying to add “a cheater” to the list of new things about me. He didn’t.

“He’s not my boyfriend” were the only words I could think of to say.

“But you like him?” Ava said, turning into our normal parking spot.

Everyone went silent, waiting for my answer.

“I think so,” I said. My feelings had been all over the place in the past couple of weeks. Mostly I was angry. But I did feel other things when Cody was around. That had to be good.

Beau let out a loud sigh and opened his door, slamming it shut behind him.

“He’s in a bad mood today,” Ava said, turning to face me.

Caroline didn’t get out of the car either, just twisted in her seat. “Is something wrong, Indy?”

“Because I like Cody?” I asked, with a little too much bite.

“No. Well…that too.”

“He’s not your type,” Ava chimed in. “He’s mine.”

Caroline nodded, then said, “You seem off.”

“You seriously do,” Ava said. “You and Beau both. Are you two fighting?”

“No,” I said, which was true. We weren’t fighting. Probably because we weren’t really talking. “My parents have been fighting, though, and I haven’t been sleeping well.”

Caroline reached back and squeezed my knee. I felt guilty because I knew that I’d been the one hurting her feelings lately and here she was comforting me. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” I said.

“What are they fighting about?” Ava asked.

“I don’t know.” I’d already told them as much as I could. “Everything?”

“Ugh,” Ava said. “Well, you can stay at my house after Harper’s birthday party.”

“Harper’s birthday party?” My mom’s birthday had been a couple days ago, and after ditching my friends to celebrate with her it had been pointless. We had a quiet, awkward dinner and an early bedtime. I should’ve escaped to Caroline’s after all. Maybe I could make up for it with this sleepover. Try to mend things with them a little. Beau would come around. Maybe when all the drama in my life was over and I could tell him everything that had happened. Would I ever be able to tell him? Even when my dad was cleared?

“Yes,” she said. “Her party is tonight. Did you forget?”

I definitely had. “No. I still need to get her a present, though. What did you all get her?”

“Makeup,” Ava said.

“A gift card,” Caroline said.

Me and my empty bank account could get her neither of those things. I’d have to look through my room and see if there was anything I could regift.

“So are we having a slumber party tonight?” Ava asked.

“Yes,” I said.

Chapter 25

Now

It was pitch-black. I’d turnedoff the light myself, but I wasn’t expecting that. I thought there’d be some ambient light—a streetlamp shining through the window, a tiny smoke detector bulb on the ceiling, a night-light plugged into a wall. That last one didn’t make sense, but it had been a while since I was in a room with zero light.