Worth Fighting For | Book #1

Chapter 22

Rather than torturing myself with the long drive to school and with the grim feeling all over my body haunting me through the day, I texted Valentina that I wouldn't be coming in and somehow managed to falsify an illness to my mother.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" My mother's voice sounded from a few doors down, laced with concern that I now felt guilty about.

"I'll be fine." I wrapped my arm tightly to my pillow and squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to rid the same events from my mind, replaying like a broken record. "Biscuit can keep me company."

Mom let out a small laugh before she appeared at my door, dressed smartly in her usual business attire. "There's some food left over from last night in the refrigerator. Make sure you heat it properly before you eat."

I smiled and shook my head to myself. She was too preoccupied with worrying about me that she had completely forgotten I was now a senior, and that I now knew how to heat food.

What had resulted in my truancy from school was that I couldn't force my body to leave my bed and go to where I would most likely see Josh again and have more explaining to do than I wanted. In addition, Isabella had spent a day at our table and something told me that it wouldn't be the first time that was going to happen.

Valentina added in a second text about Tyler hosting a party at his house this weekend and was wondering if I would be coming along with her and April.

I sent another back telling her that I would think about it. I wasn't incredibly fussed about having to spend another minute of my time around drunk teenagers and games that I never liked the outcome of.

Unfortunately, Biscuit was jumping up at my bed, barely reaching the height of it yet whimpering desperately for me to walk him. "I'm too tired." I threw my arm dramatically over eyes before peeking to see if Biscuit had left yet.

However, my eyes met his complacent ones, patiently waiting for me to walk him. "Fine, you win." I fussed and stood up to change into some warmer clothes. "But you owe me."

I walked the both of us to the beach front and followed our usual routine of releasing Biscuit into the water whilst I sat back and read a book.

However, there hadn't been anything on my nightstand that I wanted to distract myself with. After reading nearly a sentence, my mind would replay the events of last night, over and over again, keeping myself in an endless stream of torture.

Bracing myself against the sand beneath me, I was reminded of the first time Tyler had properly spoken to me, referring to me only as 'ketchup girl'. However, the thought of spilling ketchup over Josh now felt like a distant memory, despite my presence seeming to still agitate him.

On the other hand, when my mind saw Josh, I saw the desperate and angry expression he carried last night, mixed with the guilt and regret I'd never expected him to feel for me. I then began tracing back to wondering if I'd never bumped into Josh in the first place. So many things would be different between us and our friends.

He'd have remained the boy that sat in the corner of the cafeteria, a permanent scowl etched onto his features and a pocket knife slipping delicately between his fingers.

And I'd have remained that pathetic excuse for a girl that was stupidly scared of someone she shouldn't have been. Without even realising it, so much has changed since meeting Josh and I hated to accept that I liked myself a little better because of it.