The Dead Side ° horror ✔️

Chapter Eleven

Author's Note- Unedited. Going on hiatus until Wednesday.....

Chapter Eleven

Jo slept next to her parents that night.

I stayed in my room with my gaze fixed on the ceiling. When sleep failed to come and pull me out of the mess, I resorted to looking at the pictures in my backpack. The last time I'd seen them was a year ago- when I first packed them up.

Shaking fingers opened the plastic baggy, revealing the small stack. I looked at the top photo first; me on the monkey bars with a book in my tiny fingers. Mom thought I looked cute, so she took the photo and showed it to everyone she could.

Next to me, the bed dipped. I ignored it and kept my eyes on the pictures as I flicked through them. When I got to the picture on the beach, a hand reached out and stopped me from seeing the next one.

"That's you?" Declan whispered. He was so close his hand was on the small of my back. I resisted the urge to shiver at his touch. He was so close to me....

"Yeah," I pointed to the little version of me. I felt embarrassed looking at old pictures of me. Perhaps it mad me feel weak to miss the old days.

"I thought that was one of Mom's other models," He frowned. "I have that picture on my fireplace. Mom says I looked cute holding her hand." He was staring at the picture intently, like he wasn't sure it was him.

That's Declan? I knew Declan sooner than high school?

"That's you?" I sputtered. "I thought it was a cousin or something."

Then he was holding my hand. "Some things never change."

I froze in place, unsure of what to do. He was holding my hand! Looking up at him, I inspected his face. Stubble on his chin and messy, messy hair. His eyes were such a gorgeous blue, haunting almost.

"Can't sleep?" I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder. He put an arm around me, releasing my hand. Delicately, he rubbed lazy circles with his fingers on my skin.

"I'm stupid," He told me. "I hurt you." He slid my long sleeved shirt off my shoulder and inspected the bruise from when he shoved me. I winced at the thought of him knowing he caused me pain.

I tried to scoot away, but he spun me around to face him and stroked my cheeks. My eyes fluttered closed.

"You have these adorable freckles," He grinned, tracing them with his thumb. "All over."

I blushed.

He started to lean in. His lips were barely brushing mine.

Should I let him kiss me?

****

Summer of freshman year came so quickly I was grateful as could be.

I road my bike everywhere; grocery stores, appointments, and my favorite; the library. The sun beat down on my back as I pedaled down the uneven roads, past the high school and the park. I cut through the back parking lot of a church and parked my bike at the metal rack. My backpack was full of books to return and I was beyond excited to search the shelves again.

I stopped when Layla's old friends started to leave the Starbucks next door.

Head down, I casually entered the small library, meeting a blast of AC. I opened the metal box up front, put my stack of books in, and shut it gently. The librarian knew me by name and grinned, handing me a list of book recommendations to check out.