Page 23 of Shattered Trinket
“No, it’s not—I mean, they didn’t—” I groan, covering my face as I try to express out loud what’s bothering me.
“I wasn’t afraid of them,” I eventually whisper with a frown.
“Oh. Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
I sigh, because yeah, it’s good. But why? Why wasn’t I afraid? And how can I explain to her why I’m so confused when I haven’t even told her about Jeremiah? The guilt of keeping him from her has been eating at me, but I’m terrified she’ll be upset with me. That I’ll lose her. However, I’m also in desperate need of Ripley’s advice.
How can you say you trust her when you won’t even tell her one of your biggest secrets?a voice whispers at the back of my mind, startling me.
I clutch the phone tighter, knowing I need to tell her before she finds out on her own.
“Ripley, I really need to tell you something,” I whisper anxiously, feeling like I might throw up from the nerves rioting inside of me.
“Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me. We’re sisters now, remember? You can tell me anything.”
“But what if you hate me?” I whimper, my throat tight and eyes burning as I blink away the tears trying to form.
“Alright, that’s it. I’m coming over,” she says resolutely, and I can hear her moving around, grabbing things.
“No! Ripley, it’s late. You—you don’t have to do that. I’m fine, I promise. Besides, what would your parents think about you showing up so late?”
“Pft. Girl, I know that house like the back of my hand. They’ll never even know I’m there until we come down for breakfast. No arguments. I’m already walking into Syn’s office to ask her to bring me. Love you, see you soon,mwah!”
She hangs up before I can protest anymore, and despite me telling her not to, I can’t help but feel relieved that she’s ignoring me.
I don’t know how long I sit at the window, staring out into the darkness, wondering if he’s out there—my Ghost—before I see headlights creeping down the driveway. They shut off before the car parks, and I watch as the lights inside come on as the passenger door opens. Ripley leans across the middle console to kiss Syn before climbing out and quietly shutting her door. She looks up at my window and waves when she sees me before disappearing out of sight, and Syn waits until she’s inside before leaving.
I turn away from the window once Syn’s car disappears, eyeing my bedroom door. It quietly clicks open as Ripley sneaks in a few moments later, shutting it softly behind her, and she grins at me as she walks farther in, throwing her arms up and exaggeratedly whispering, “Tada!”
I can’t help myself as I get up and run over to her, hugging her and relaxing when she hugs me back.
“You really didn’t have to come all the way over here,” I mumble, making her scoff as we pull apart.
“Bullshit. Whatever you need to tell me is stressing you out. Besides, we’re long overdue for a sleepover. Only thing thatcould make this impromptu slumber party better is if Hunt, Gabe, and Shade were here, but next time!”
She moves over to the bed, climbing on top and I follow her, grabbing the squishy yeti plush that’s my favorite to hug tight to my chest like a shield. She gets comfortable while I fold my legs beneath me and attempt to chew through my bottom lip.
“Now. First things first, nothing you tell me is going to make me hate you. Just putting that out there, so stop gnawing on your lip like a starved animal. You trust me, right?”
I stop biting my lip as I look at her with wide eyes.
“Of course. I trust you more than anyone else.”
“Okay then. So, tell me what’s eating at you.”
I groan and bury my face in the yeti, completely unsure of how to broach the subject of Jeremiah.
Quit stalling!
I look back up at her and blow out a breath.
“Okay. Just… Just let me finish before you say anything, okay?”
Ripley nods, miming zipping her lips and throwing away the key, making the corners of my mouth tip up.
“I know I told you a little about Jeremiah when I was in the hospital, but I need to tell you the rest.”
She tenses slightly but keeps quiet. Unable to see the look in her eyes, I stare down at the yeti in my arms, fidgeting.