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“Me too,” Meghan says loudly.
“Are you sure?” Ana scoffs. “No speeches about Emma having a baby out of wedlock?”
“I’m working on it,” Meghan laughs.
“Where are you guys anyway?” I ask, contemplating detouring to them for a real pep talk and hug.
“I’m on a train,” Ana says. “I have my last exam that doesn’t even matter but there’s something about extra credit.”
“And I’m at a church festival, you wanna come by?” Meghan asks.
Ah. Explains the wind. Somehow being around a church right now doesn’t match my mood.
“Nah, it’s okay. I’m just gonna head home.”
“Okay,” Ana says softly. “But keep your chin up, babe. Okay? Your parents? Fuck ‘em. Focus on your future, and know that whatever you decide to do, we will support you.”
I intend to go home, but instead, I drive around until the sun sinks low over the horizon and darkness creeps into the sky. Part of me was wasting time, hoping that by the time I got back to Finn’s place, he would be there. Unfortunately, I didn’t time that right, and when I walk through the door, the apartment is empty.
Maybe for the best. I need to wash up and hide the fact I’ve been bawling all day while also coming up with a plan about the baby.
The more I think about it, the scarier it becomes. There’s a life inside me. A life that’s going to arrive in my fucked-up life and make everything so much more intense.
“Fuck,” I murmur, trudging toward the bathroom. Before I get there, a notification pings up on my phone. A courier is on their way to deliver a parcel to my apartment.
A parcel?
I didn’t order anything recently, did I?
I almost ignore the text until a thought pops into my mind. The cops might be sending some stuff back to me, or it might be related to graduation. I do have a gown on order, but I thought I had to pick that up.
Shit. The last thing I need is the cost of replacing a rented graduation gown.
Abandoning my thoughts of a bath, I hurry out of Finn’s apartment and head back to my car. If I drive quickly enough, I should be able to intercept the courier and pick up the parcel before any wandering eyes find a reason to steal it.
The drive back to my apartment is quick, but as I pull up to my apartment, my heart sinks down like a rock to my gut.
The front door is open.
Did I do that? No, no, I haven’t been here in days.
Sliding from my car, I glance around but the street is empty. According to my phone, the courier is still en route. Waiting here for the parcel shouldn’t take too long. My mind runs with a hundred weird reasons as to why the door would be open before I settle on the fact that my landlord could be here checking on things.
Or the police.
Approaching the door, I knock twice and lean in slightly. “Hello?”
Silence.
This is weird. This is really fucking weird.
As I step back from the door, I scramble for my phone. I need to call someone. The police or Asher or something.
Just as I get my phone into my hands, something large snags in my hair and pulls sharply. I let out a scream that’s short lived, as fabric slams over my mouth and smothers all sounds.
My heart pounds, my arms flail, and my hands scrabble at anything I can reach as I’m dragged backward into my apartment. My nails catch on the doorframe, my heels trip on the step, and the pressure against my face prevents me from breathing.
My mind screams in alarm, and then something solid collides with the base of my skull.
