Chapter Twenty
The day dragged on longer than I thought possible. Every class felt endless, every hallway another gauntlet of whispers and stares. By the time the final bell rang, I was more than ready to go home and leave the suffocating atmosphere of school behind.
As I wheeled my bike out of the parking lot, I spotted them–Elijah, Isaiah, Alex, and Austin. They were leaning against Elijah’s jeep, waiting for me like they always seemed to be lately. Their presence was as predictable as it was infuriating.
“Need a ride?” Elijah called out as I passed them.
“No,” I said, not even looking in their direction.
I hopped onto my bike, gripping the handlebars tightly as I pedaled past them. I could feel their eyes on me, but I ignored them, focusing on the road ahead.
The ride home was uneventful until it wasn’t. About halfway there, the familiar rhythm of my bike chain suddenly gave way with a
loud clink.
“Damn it,” I muttered, coming to an abrupt stop. I hopped off the bike, inspecting the chain, which had slipped off completely. It dangled uselessly, smeared with grease and dirt.
Before I could even begin to figure out how to fix it, the hum of Elijah’s jeep engine filled the air. I looked up to see the black vehicle pulling up beside me.
“Need help?” Elijah asked, rolling down the window.
“No,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
The door opened, and he stepped out, followed by the others. They approached cautiously as if they were afraid I’d lash out, which wasn’t entirely off base.
“Stormi,” Isaiah began, his tone annoyingly calm, “it’s just a bike. Let us help.”
“I said no!” I barked, shoving the bike forward.
The twins exchanged a look, and Austin stepped closer. “Come on, little mate. You don’t have to do everything by yourself.”
I turned on him, my anger bubbling over. “Yes, I do! I’ve always had to do everything by myself!”
They froze, clearly taken aback by the venom in my voice.
“You don’t get to pretend to care now,” I continued, my voice shaking with frustration. “Just because I’m suddenly your mate doesn’t mean you actually give a damn about me. You hated me before, remember? Or did you forget all the times you made my life
miserable?”
Elijah raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Stormi, we’re just trying to-”
“Don’t!” I cut him off, my chest heaving. “Don’t act like you’re doing this out of the goodness of your hearts. I don’t need your help.
I never have.”
The silence that followed was heavy, the tension almost tangible. For a moment, none of them moved or said anything..
Finally, I grabbed the handlebars of my bike and started walking, the broken chain rattling with every step.
They didn’t leave.
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Chapter Twenty
I could hear the steady hum of the jeep’s engine behind me as I pushed my bike along the side of the road. They followed at a crawl, keeping just enough distance to avoid another outburst from me.
The sound grated on my nerves, but I refused to give them the satisfaction of looking back.
“You’re being ridiculous,” Alex called out from the jeep.
“Shut up, Alex,” Isaiah muttered, though his voice was loud enough for me to hear.
I kept walking, my hands gripping the handlebars so tightly my knuckles turned white. The afternoon sun beat down on me, legs ached from the effort, but I didn’t stop.
“Stormi,” Elijah’s voice called out, softer this time. “At least let us give you a ride the rest of the way.”
I ignored him, my jaw set stubbornly.
“This is stupid,” Austin said, clearly frustrated. “We’re not trying to upset you. We just want to help.
“Well, you’re doing a terrible job of it,” I snapped, not bothering to turn around.
and my
The jeep fell silent again, save for the low rumble of the engine. I could feel their frustration, their helplessness, and part of me almost felt bad for them. Almost.
By the time I reached the edge of the forest, my arms and legs were screaming in protest. The cabin was still a good fifteen minutes away, and I wasn’t sure I had the energy to make it the rest of the way.
The jeep came to a stop a few feet behind me, and I heard the sound of doors opening and closing.
I turned around to see all four of them getting out, their expressions a mix of concern and determination.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, my voice tinged with exhaustion.
“We’re walking you the rest of the way,” Elijah said simply.
I stared at him, incredulous. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You’re tired,” Isaiah said, his tone matter–of–fact. “And we’re not letting you do this alone.”
I wanted to argue, to tell them to leave me alone, but I didn’t have the strength. Instead, I turned back around and kept walking, pretending they weren’t there.
They didn’t try to talk to me again, which was a small mercy. But their presence was impossible to ignore, their footsteps crunching softly on the dirt road behind me.
When I finally reached the cabin, I dropped my bike against the porch steps and leaned against the railing, catching my breath.
“Stormi?” Mariah’s voice called out from inside.
“I’m fine,” I replied, trying to sound more composed than I felt.
She appeared in the doorway, her brow furrowing when she saw the four boys standing a few feet away.
“What happened?” she asked, her gaze shifting between me and them.
“Nothing,” I said quickly. “The chain on my bike broke. That’s all.”
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Chapter Twenty
Elijah stepped forward, his expression unreadable. “We tried to help but she wouldn’t let us.”
Mariah’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t say anything. Instead she turned to me, her expression softening.
“Go inside and rest,” she said gently. “Thanks for walking her home toys.
I was too tired to argue. As I stepped inside, I could hear Mariah speaking to them in a low voice, though I couldn’t make out the words.
I didn’t care. All I wanted was to be alone.
As I collapsed onto my bed, I stared up at the ceiling, my mind racing. Their persistence was exhausting, and their sudden concern for me both infuriating and confusing.
I didn’t know what they wanted from me, or if I could ever give it to them. All I knew was that the walls I had built around myself were starting to crack, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep them up.
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