Chapter 29: A Shoulder to Lean On

The playground in my neighborhood was eerily quiet as I swayed on the swings. The only sound was the creaking of the rusty chains every time I moved, and it reeked of cigarettes stolen from parents that the teenagers around town came there to smoke.

Still, I took a deep breath, enjoying the simple fact that I was outside. It had been a lazy few days for me, I’d mostly stayed on the couch or played card games with my family. I asked to not go into work, because I hadn’t wanted to have to act like nothing happened with Caleb. I hadn’t really talked to Finn much, either, and Heather still had yet to reach out.

As I dangled my feet and swung, I questioned whether I should just head home.

But then I heard footsteps, and I knew it was too late to turn back.