Page 14 of The Boy I Loved (Eternal Hell #1)

Tory rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t surprise me.

Waitressing is way too much stress and work for minimum wage.

” She waved a dismissive hand in the air as she talked, her silver bracelets glistening beneath the light.

“I’ve also heard that they treat their employees here like absolute shit.

” She continued to ramble on and on about this place and how the workers were ill-treated, right as the waitress returned with our beverages.

My face flamed with embarrassment, and I opened my mouth, attempting to form the words to get my best friend to shut the hell up, but they never came.

Instead, I was stuck there frozen with a waitress who was looking between me and Tory with wide eyes—probably due to my friend’s colorful vocabulary.

I shot the lady a sheepish grin, but it probably came off as more of a grimace. “Sorry,” I muttered.

The woman placed my drink down in front of me and then did the same for Tory, who’s eyes finally snapped to the staff worker. Tory’s face pinkened, her accusing gaze flicking over to me.

The woman’s badge said Ellie. She was an older woman with dark brown hair, similar to mine, and dark brown eyes. If I thought she was going to be offended, I was dead wrong. She just shrugged in response.

“She’s not wrong,” Ellie commented. “Your food will be out shortly.” She gave us a tight smile before turning on her heels and crossing the diner, probably wanting to put as much distance between us as possible.

“Why didn’t you tell me she was standing there?” she asked in disbelief.

I snorted a laugh and brought my glass to my lips, taking a long, slow drink.

The strawberry flavor danced along my tongue, followed by the sour taste of the lemon flavoring.

Whenever I came here with Dominic, I’d order the same things, too.

He was the one that got me started on strawberry lemonade in the first place.

A lot of places didn’t have it, so I took advantage whenever I came here.

“Whatever,” Tory mumbled when I didn’t bother to reply. “You know what I think?”

I raised my eyebrows in response, setting the cup back on the table.

“I think you should show Dom exactly what he’s missing.

School literally starts in two days. Flaunt around another guy in front of him and see if he gets jealous.

” She shot me a pointed look. “You’ve been clinging on to him for over two years, babe.

It’s time to move on. If he thinks you’re going to wait for him forever, show him you aren’t. ”

My stomach twisted into knots at what she was suggesting.

The thought of stringing anyone along didn’t sit right with me, and neither did the thought of moving on.

But then I remembered what he said. While I was waiting for him to come home, loving him, and missing him, he was having sex with other girls .

It’s complicated.

No. It wasn’t. He wasn’t waiting for me like I was him. So maybe Tory was right. As much as it hurt, maybe that’s exactly what I needed to do.

When I got home, I immediately started putting everything away.

My backpack was ready to go, and my new clothes were organized within the closet by color.

Tory talked me into getting some more revealing pieces and even helped me pick out my outfit for the first day of classes.

It wasn’t something I’d normally wear, but if her words had any merit to them, and if Dominic still felt something for me, then he wouldn’t want me walking around dressed like that.

If there was one thing I did know about him, it was that he was possessive. Even when we were friends, still exploring our feelings for one another, he’d get a little too… intense at times, where other guys were concerned.

Our school had a dress code, but the teachers never followed through with it.

After showering, I made my way downstairs. Dad was on the sofa with his arm around my mom’s shoulders. She was watching something on TV while he was scrolling on his phone with his free hand.

It wasn’t until I sank into the sofa on my mom’s other side that they acknowledged me.

“Hey, kiddo,” Dad greeted, glancing over at me. “Did you have fun going out with Tory today?”

“Yeah.” My gaze drifted to the TV screen. I didn’t know what was on, but it was some kind of reality TV show. Mom loved those for reasons I couldn’t understand.

Mom smiled at me, her eyes crinkling in the corners. “What all did you get?”

“Some school supplies and clothes.” I shrugged. “We also went out to eat.”

My parents loved Tory. They thought she was a good influence, and for the most part, she was.

She was always pushing me out of my comfort zone, and not in a bad way.

She encouraged me to do things I wouldn’t normally do, to be better, and to feel more confident.

I honestly didn’t know what I’d do without her.

She and Alice had become my rocks while Dom was away.

Alice might have been two years younger than us, but she was mature for her age and it didn’t feel weird.

Dad pocketed his phone before continuing. “Are you excited for school? It’s your last year.” A flash of pride entered his gaze. “Any idea on what college you’re thinking of going to?”

I’d applied to a few colleges but knew better than to get my hopes up.

They were the big leagues, and while my grades were satisfactory enough, I wasn’t sure that it would be enough.

There were other applicants who went above and beyond—who have been working toward this moment since they were young.

That meant they were probably in sports, have done their research, and were involved in other extracurricular activities that might help them get in.

“I’m not sure,” I admitted.

“You still have time,” Mom chipped in, tossing another small smile my way. She settled against my father, leaning her head on his shoulder before focusing back on the flat screen.

Comfortable silence stretched around us.

Well, it was comfortable for them, and in any other circumstance, it would be for me too.

Unfortunately, it felt like I was suffocating in it.

My mind kept wandering to these dark places, to those icy, gray eyes.

And then to the way he pumped himself up and down while breathing dirty words through the speaker.

How he told me he loved me, that he always has, and then how quickly he followed that up with Don’t contact me again .

Way to twist the fucking knife.

I felt like a love-sick fool. It was pathetic.

All this time, I thought boot camps were to whip people in shape—to teach them discipline and make them work out.

Whatever happened at that camp did something to his brain.

Maybe it was some form of PTSD. If something traumatic happened to him within the last two and a half years, it would explain his paranoid nature.

I hated seeing him like this. So distant and closed off. He looked absolutely miserable. But there was nothing I could do.

I glanced over at the TV. There were a bunch of half-naked girls and guys on an island somewhere, flirting with one another.

Pretty sure one of those guys was already taken, but it didn’t seem to matter.

They took relationships for granted. They were always looking for something better. Superficial assholes.

A trickle of light bled in through the thin curtains blocking the windows on either side of the entertainment center. My heart was heavy in my chest as I took it all in, the feeling of hopelessness wrapping around me in a snug embrace that refused to let go.

“What do you guys want for dinner tonight?” Mom asked, looking between me and my father.

It hasn’t been that long since I’d eaten, so the mere thought of food had my stomach coiling with nausea.

“Whatever you two want,” Dad answered. “I’ll eat just about anything.”

Mom gave him a playful look. “We know,” she deadpanned.

I loved how passionate they still were, even after all this time. They were close, and they always made time for me. It just made the hole in my chest bleed more profusely. They were friends before they got together, and they got their happily ever after.

Where was mine?