I should've gone with her. She left at seven.
It's midnight.
She lost her phone in the ocean today.
Mom and Dad sat us down and yelled at us for three hours straight. I got yelled at for fighting blood.
Zeke got yelled at for everything else.
I can't call her.
I'm worried.
"Should I look for her?" I ask them quietly.
"Give it until one." Mom says. "She's upset. She probably went to the mall."
I sigh.
"Maybe, but-"
My phone vibrates.
I look down.
Abs: I'm not coming home tonight. I got a new phone, btw.
Me: why? Where are you staying?
Abs: in the storage unit.
Me: you're staying the night in the storage unit?
Abs: precisely.
Me: Abby, come home to me
Abs: no.
I want to kill Zeke.
She was so happy.
She was smiling and laughing.
Me: how am I supposed to sleep when you're not here?
Abs: the way you have been for the past twenty two years.
Abs: im not actually at the storage unit. I WAS at the storage unit. I got a place though. I'm at my place
Me: you're lying
A minute later, I get a photo.
Of Abby.
She looks fine. She hasn't been crying.
She's sitting in an empty apartment.
Me: which apartments. I wanna come
Abs: no, I wanna be alone.
I'm so frustrated with myself for falls asleep.
I'm so frustrated with Zeke and my cousins for doing what they did.
And I'm so frustrated, not at Abby, but about Abby, because she's sad and doesn't want to come home.
Me: what does shutting me out accomplish?
Abs: I don't want to fight
Me: okay, night
It's a few minutes before I get a reply.
Abs: please try to understand
Me: I understand why you're upset but I don't understand why you're shutting me out.
Abs: one fucking night without me is not going to kill you Liam. I'm not shutting you out because I won't come share a bed with you. You know exactly what's wrong.
Me: k.
She doesn't reply.
<><>
I didn't sleep that night. I fell asleep on and off and woke up at one in the afternoon.
"Has Abby been here yet?" I ask Mom
She sighs, shaking her head.
My phone vibrates.
Abs: wanna help me move
I don't know why, but that sets me off.
Me: no.
Me: you're not going to ignore me and then come to me when it's convenient for you or when you need something.
Abs: Liam, stop. I don't want to fight with you. I don't need you hating me too.
Me: I don't hate you.
Abs: I miss you.
Me: then why didn't you let me come over last night?
Abs: Because I was depressed and felt like being depressed alone.
I feel so annoyed with her. I want her to come to me when she has an issue.
Me: abby you know you're not a slut. I don't get why youre so upset.
Abs: k.
She's mad.
Whatever.
ABBY'S POV
I'm pissed Liam won't help me move.
I'm even more pissed that he doesn't understand.
Like, I know I'm not a slut.
But his family thinks I am.
I had to call my parents to help me, and Izzy was forced to help.
She didn't say one word to me. They offered to help me unpack while I go grocery shopping.
I agreed. I'm walking in the door now.
Something isn't right.
Boxes are all over the place, Liam's parents are on my couch, Zeke is on my couch.
Liam is sitting against the wall with a beer.
My parents look worried, and Izzy looks neutral.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
Liam and I are kinda arguing, and we all know it.
"Remember the other day when we were driving around looking for Izzy and I asked you something that I told you has been bothering me for years?"
I'm flying down Gulf to Bay. It's late, and I'm starting to worry I won't find her.
"Hey babes?" Liam asks quietly.
I glance at him.
He's looking out the window, lost in thought.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"You know how you had a drug problem?" he looks at me.
I nod. "Yeah."
"And you stopped when we got back together?"
"Yeah."
"You didn't start again when we broke up, did you?"
"No." I frown. "I haven't done drugs or even had a drink since then."
"Not even for your twenty first birthday?"
"No, never. Besides, the legal drinking age is eighteen for drinking in Australia."
"Do you promise?"
"Yeah, I promise."
"Yeah..." I trail off, getting the groceries on the counter.
Liam doesn't normally drink. He told me that.
He stands up.
"Then why the fuck did you lie to me?"
He's angry.
We're already arguing, and now he's just pissed.
"What?" I repeat.
In answer, he grabs a gallon sized Ziploc bag of weed from my suitcase. It's the one that I had at his house.
"Abby, we were unpacking you and I found this." Dad says. "Don't tell me you're on that fucking path again, Abigail!"
"Liam, you've been through the fucking suitcase fifty times!"
"I haven't been through it since the other day when you left to go to the gym." He says. "Why'd you lie?"
"I didn't lie! It's not mine!"
"That's bullshit!" Mum stands up. "Tell the truth, Abigail!"
"It's not my fucking weed. I haven't even seen marijuana since before that shit went down with Logan!"
"Fuck this." Liam says, tossing the bag on the coffee table. "How the fuck do you expect us to have a future if I can't even trust you?" he demands.
Silence.
"You don't trust me." I say simply.
"Not anymore." He says.
This is so frustrating.
It's not mine.
It's not fucking mine.
"Abby, honey, if it isn't yours, who's is it?" Mrs. Ashton asks.
"I don't know!"
"Yu have one more chance to be honest." Liam says. "Why do you have weed?"
The whole apartment is silent.
"It's not mine!" I say, outraged. "I didn't buy it, I don't sell it, I don't do it! I don't know how the hell it got there!"
Liam nods slowly.
He's pissed.
"Alright. You and spend your life getting high and sniffing coke, but I'm not sticking around for it. I won't be with a liar. Go ahead and delete my number. You won't be needing it anymore."
"Liam-" I say, pained
"Bye."
He walks out, slamming the door behind him.
What the fuck!
Silently, his parents and brother get up and leave.
I don't understand.
It's not my weed.
It wasn't in there before!
He just broke up with me.
Izzy looks happy.
Mum and Dad look disappointed.
It wasn't there before I left.
I know it wasn't, because I dragged my suitcase into my bathroom and got a shirt out and changed right before I left.
"Do you guys at least believe me?" I ask quietly.
"Abby, you need help." Mum says.
She stands up, and her, Dad, and Izzy leave.
My apartment falls silent.
Liam just broke up with me.
He left.
He broke up with me.