Page 21 of She is the Darke

She nodded and drew her hands to her chest, clenching them tightly, rejecting the urge to hug him and draw him back to her.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her knuckles, then pushed off and stood. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. He looked upset.

Tyler ran his hand through his hair and glanced at her, then away. “Thank you for tonight.”

Demi pursed her lips and nodded. “Sure thing.”

Tyler grabbed his phone off the coffee table and then started to leave. He hesitated at the door, but didn’t turn around. Instead, he said, “Send me the schedule for tomorrow, and I’ll be there.”

And then he left.

And again, the clicking of the door closing was the loneliest sound in the world.

Chapter Eight

“Biiitch.”

Demi eased her eyes open.

“Bitch, wake up,” Rachel said.

“Why are you whispering?” Demi asked.

“I don’t know,” Rachel whispered. “I got you coffee.”

“Okay.” She sat up and blearily looked around her room. “You really don’t have to whisper though, best friend. It’s just you and me here.”

“Okay, best friend,” Rachel whisper-screamed, handing her the iced caramel macchiato. “I owe you an apology.”

“You literally don’t,” Demi assured her.

“I didn’t come over last night, and I didn’t even text you back.”

“Okay. That’s okay. What time is it?”

“It’s just I’ve been going through a hard time, and I don’t know how to talk about it.”

Demi rubbed her face. “Wait, stop! Rewind. What?”

“I’ve been going through a hard time, and I’ve been spiraling. I drank way too much last night, and I didn’t come over here, which is where I should’ve been when you invited me, but I am off the rails—”

“Rachel! What is happening?” Demi demanded, half asleep.

“Can we talk?”

“Yeah?” Demi uttered, trying to evict the grogginess from her brain.

“You should be fully awake for this. You have five minutes before I panic and change my mind. Chug the coffee. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

“Okay. Are you going to work?” she asked as she looked at the clock, concerned.

“No, I quit. I just sent my boss an email.”

Holy crap. All right. So, she really was spiraling.

Demi sucked on the straw to her ice coffee, hoping the influx of caffein would fix her entire life and also wake up her brain.

She drank down the coffee, dressed in a rush, brushed her teeth, and speed-walked to the kitchen. “What’s happened?” she asked.