Rae of Sunshine (Light in the Dark 1)

“Love you too, sweetie.” The call ended and I stood there for a moment, breathing in slowly.

I hated to think about how much I’d broken my parents with what I’d done and how I handled the situation.

I never meant to hurt them, but I did.

I really hoped seeing a therapist would help fix things.

Maybe soon, I’d be ready to go home and face all my fears—close the book on this chapter of my life and start anew.

twenty-two

“Where are you going?” Thea looked me up and down. “That doesn’t look like something you wear for a night in with your roommate,” she joked, sitting on her bed cross-legged. She was already dressed in her pajamas. Her iPad was propped on the bed and I figured the second I was gone she’d be on Netflix. Apparently she was addicted to Gossip Girl and had a crush on someone named Chuck Bass. According to her, I was missing out on greatness.

“Your brother asked me to go to a party with him.” I straightened the shirt I wore.

“I wasn’t invited? That isn’t fair,” she pouted.

I shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Whatever. Chuck is waiting and he’s so much more exiting than a party.”

Somehow I didn’t believe her, but in all honesty I would rather stay in than go to this party. I was going to be surrounded by Huntley University’s finest, people I didn’t know, and that gave me major anxiety since I was no social butterfly.

“Well, if there’s another party, I’ll make sure you can come.” I added to appease her.

“Yeah, so I can feel like the third wheel,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. “This past week has made me wonder why I wanted you guys to date. All the kissing is grossing me out.”

I laughed, smoothing my hair back into a ponytail. “I’m sorry. I’ll tell Cade to tone it down.”

“Don’t tell him anything,” she warned. “It’ll just make him kiss you more to gross me out.

Brother’s are assholes like that.”

I finished my makeup and sat down beside her on her bed, since I still had some time before Cade was due to arrive.

“So, what’s going on with you and Xander?” I’d asked her the same thing before, but I felt like we were better friends now and she might tell me more.

She shrugged. “Honestly, like I told you, nothing. I like him,” she shrugged, “and I think he likes me, but neither of us has made a move. Besides, I’m kind of over him. There’s this one guy in my English class that I really like and he seems interested.”

I eyed her. “Thea.”

“What? Why are you saying my name like that? I feel like I’m in trouble,” she frowned.

“If you like Xander you should go for it.”

She sighed. “We’ve been friends since we were kids, so that makes it weird, but he’s also Cade’s best friend which makes it complicated. I don’t need that kind of drama in my life. Besides, I don’t want to end up on 48 Hours when Cade kills us for…canoodling,” she supplied, and we both dissolved into laughter.

I decided to let the topic of Xander drop. “Okay, so who’s this new guy you like?”

Her cheeks flushed and I figured that was a good sign. “His name is Trevor and he’s really nice.”

“Trevor and really nice? That’s all you’ve got?” I laughed. “Come on, give me more than that.” I gasped, and grabbed her hand. “This isn’t skinny jeans guy is it?”

“What?” She laughed. “No! Besides, like I said, I’m pretty sure Cade scared him away from ever talking to me again. It’s okay, though. He was kind of odd and those jeans were a turn off.”

“So, are you going on a date with Trevor?”

I marveled at how easy our conversation was. It was so normal and easy. Two girls discussing guys and dates. I never thought this would be my life again.