Frost on the Green (The Green Girl sequel) ✓

Chapter 37

He leaned down and pecked Beth on the lips just as my phone vibrated. It was a message from Cade:

Come back. Gavin called.

So soon?

I looked out the window: it had only gotten dark and he’d told us not to expect to hear from him until it was night.

Had something gone wrong?

Or was this a good sign?

I tried to steady my heart and voice as I told my friends I was going back to apartment 201.

“Would you turn on the light on your way out?” Beth asked, still snuggled into Asher. I had the feeling she wouldn’t move from there unless Skyler got out of the bedroom.

“Sure.” I barely restrained myself from sprinting out. “If Sky or Kee talk, call me,” I added, closing the door behind me.

Not that I would be able to do much about them if Gavin was in trouble and needed our help, I added in my mind.

*****

 

Skyler’s POV

On Sunday morning I’d finally gathered some semblance of courage, just enough to do what I’d been planning since Alice’s visit yesterday evening. He’d said he never wanted to see me again; that would be difficult considering we had common friends and shared classes. Yet there was something I could do for him: I could limit our time together; try to avoid him as best as I could. The way to achieve that was simple: move out and find an apartment of my own in another building, preferably away from this one.

Indeed, it had seemed like a simple, easy to follow plan, but when time came to execute it, I cowered. I’d come up with it on Saturday yet the only achievement I could be proud of to this moment was that I’d succeeded in convincing Beth not to call our parents; as for telling Kee that I’d be moving out… That was a different story altogether.

I thought about calling him to tell him he might want to seek a new roommate; I’d failed.

I then decided to text him. I wrote “Dear Kee”, erased “Dear” and left only the name and that had been it. I couldn’t go on with the message.

“I am moving out” – how hard could that be to type?

Four words, twelve letters yet it seemed like the hardest thing I’d ever had to write.

And perhaps it wasn’t fair to notify him of my decision like that; perhaps I ought to say it to his face.

But he did not want to see me.

He’d shouted as much.

I’d spend my second night on my sister’s couch not crying, but sleeplessly twisting around in my indecision. At least tonight Beth had not come to check on me, the first lucky break I’d gotten since I’d kissed my way out of the best relationship I’d had.

Maybe I should call first after all, I mused, my hand still stuck in mid air, hesitant to let my knuckles knock on the wooden surface of the door to the apartment I were about to leave for ever. I silently cursed that in my haste to get out the last time I’d been here, I’d forgotten my keys.

Yes, I should call to warn him. My hand was now reaching for my phone. He doesn’t want to see me or talk to me. He could’ve called or visited otherwise.

Indeed, he could have. I was sure he’d figure out I’d gone to Beth’s. But he didn’t come over even once. Alice had done so twice, the second time with Cade, but they didn’t stay long. Come to think of it, they’d looked somewhat agitated and distracted…