The key.

Bailey

"She said she misses you deeply"

Eden stares at me with tears in her eyes "Thank you, Bailey."

"You're welcome." I nod before glancing at Marcus who's staring out the window and I say "Marcus, could you come check out the fan in room please? For some reason it doesn't want to work."

He glances at me with a mild glare and I glare right back until he scoffs before telling Eden "I'll be back"

We walk to my room and I close the door behind us and I turn to him "Are you okay?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

I raise an eyebrow "Because I met your deceased girlfriend." His jaw clenches and I sigh before saying "She left a message for you too, you know."

His whole body language changes and he looks curious but also…scared. "What did she say?"

"It's okay to move on. Your heart is big enough for both of them, Marcus."

He lets out a shaky breath "I don't think I can ever move on from her, Bailey. Aurora was the best thing that has happened to me."

"I'm sure she was" I say softly "You don't need to move on if you don't want to, Marcus."

He presses the heels of his hands into his eye sockets as he lets out a soft groan "I'm always a mess whenever Aurora is the topic."

"That's probably because you loved her and her death hurt you a lot."

"True" he sighs "Thank you for carrying the message on to me. And Eden."

"Of course." I give him a smile and he pats my head like I'm some pet before leaving and closing my bedroom door behind him. I immediately head over to my bed, take out the box from beneath and open it before throwing everything on my bed. My eyes catch on a necklace with a half-heart pendant on it.

I wonder where the other heart could be. I vividly remember my mom wearing this necklace until she just…didn't. Here's a bunch of photos of my parents and even a few of baby me, I pick up all the photos and put it back in the box but frown when I see writing on the back of one of it.

It seems like an address.

I turn it around to look at the photo and see it's one of my parents who look so much younger standing in front of a house that most certainly was not ours. I take a picture of it before sending it to my aunt with a text 'Do you perhaps know what house this is?'

'No clue at all, honey.'

I sigh in disappointment before looking down at the address again, it's about two hours away if I take the bus but what am I going to even do when I show up there? It's not like I have-

The key!

I shuffle through the photos until I find the key and my eyes narrow as I consider the possibility that this may be the key to that house. I glance at my watch and groan when I see the time. If I go now then I won't be in time to meet Eli, I could cancel meeting up with him but I really want to see him again. He's going to cook for me, for crying out loud. I'll just have to go tomorrow after meeting up with Aunt Lisa.

I head to the bathroom for a shower and glance at Liliana's room when I walk past the open door. I pause and tilt my head.

Certainly my eyes are not deceiving me.

I take a couple of steps back and sure enough there Liliana is in her room with Luke. Yes, Luke from the party in the woods. 'Let me take you out for coffee' Luke.

"Hello." I say as I glance between the two of them

"Hey you!" Liliana says with a hint of amusement

"Bailey, hi." Luke says.

I continue to look between them in confusion "What's going on here?"

"I've been failing my classes and I needed a tutor. Luke is the perfect candidate because he's so smart."

I frown as my confusion grows, I know Liliana well enough to know that she may be bitchy but she's very smart. "Uhm….okay."

Liliana glances at Luke "I'll be right back in a second."

He nods and she grabs my hand before dragging me into the bathroom and closing the door behind us "I hope you don't mind, I know you and him kind of hit it off for a while."

I snort a laugh "We definitely did not hit it off, I'm just a bit lost about the whole tutor thing. I don't buy it."

She sighs "Fine, I don't need one but I'm using him to make Marcus jealous."

I blink "What? Why?"

"Well if he sees that Luke and I are spending time together then he'll get jealous and confess his undying love for me."

I sigh as I rake a hair through my hair "Lili, that is not going to work. He needs space and time, he's not yet healed from Aurora and I most certainly know that he's not ready to move on yet."

She tilts her head "And how do you know that?"

I shrug "He happened to tell me."

Her shoulders slump "Oh."

I frown at her sad expression and rub her arm "The best thing you can do right now is be his friend and love him from afar until he's ready."

She swallows "But what if he's ready then he chooses someone else? Eden perhaps."

I shake my head "Eden is like his little sister. And if Marcus is smart enough then he'll realise that you're the best person for him."

"You think so?"

"Definitely."

She lets out a sigh and nod "I can love him from afar."

I smile "There we go. And just so you know, Luke's mate is his brother's girlfriend."

She waves her hand dismissively "Whatever, it's not like I plan to marry him. By the way I'm sorry that I didn't come by the nurse's office, I have a thing against the whole doctors and needles."

"No that's fine. Tyler was there."

"It's not fine, let me know what I can do to make it up for you."

I tilt my head "Well you could lend me a stunning dress for the night. Nothing slutty, just pure exquisite."

She raises an eyebrow "You're going on a date?"

I shrug "Perhaps."

She gasps "You sneaky little bitch."

I laugh "I'm going to shower, you go back to Luke but don't forget to find me a dress please."

She hums "Alright."

When she walks out, I lock the door behind her before hopping into the shower.