“Rhys is—” I struggle to find the right word. “Different.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured that out,” she says.
Luckily, I spot Nathan then. He’s with a girl who reminds me a lot of Corinne except she’s a good six inches taller—slightly taller than Nathan—and her wild curls are dyed completely black. I wave them down and start to go over, but Kendra’s hand closes around my forearm, stopping me. “I just thought you should know that when you look at him—at Rhys—it’s obvious.”
“What?” I ask, but before she can respond, Nathan and Michaela come over. Nathan grabs Kendra into a bear hug like they’re long lost friends as I introduce myself to Michaela. I’m relieved to find that she’s just as easy-going as he is as we pick an empty spot on the grass and the shows begin a few minutes later.
There are a few bands I’ve heard of, like Red Denial, but also several that are new to me. I make it my personal goal to check out some of their shows over the next several months before summer break. When the music is finished shortly after eleven and the crowd starts to thin out, Michaela stands up, brushing the grass off her jeans. She turns to Nathan and says something very softly that makes him grin like the Cheshire cat.
To Kendra and me, he offers an apologetic look that’s not fooling either one of us. “Sorry, Evie. She had a long flight, and—” But I hold my hand and shake my head.
“No need to explain. Seriously, I really don’t want to know what’s going to happen in your bedroom tonight.” If I spent months at a time away from my boyfriend, the last thing I’d want to do is spend one of my only two nights with him hanging around other people. “Goodnight,” I sing. Smiling genuinely at Michaela, I add, “It’s good to finally meet you.”
“You too, Evie,” she murmurs sweetly, “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
Once they disappear in the crowd, I turn to Kendra. “There’s a party that another one of my friends asked us to come to.” I fold my arms over my chest, trying to warm my bare arms with my hands. “I think you’ll like Mac, but if you’re tired we can just go back and watch movies.”
She rolls her eyes. “Are you kidding? I slept all week to prepare for going out with you. You tell me where to go and I’ll follow.” Even though Kendra was never much of a drinker, that didn’t stop her from coming out with me many nights last year. I feel a lump form in my throat as I think of all the times she helped me back to our room, and I link my arm through hers and lay my head on her shoulder.
“You scare me when you’re this sweet,” she says suspiciously. “What’s up?”
“Thank you,” I whisper. “Thank you for always looking out for me and—”
Coming to a halt on the sidewalk, she plants her hands on her slim hips and shoots me a warning glare. “Stop it before you make me get all emotional. If you do that you know I have a hard time stopping.”
I remember all too well, so for the rest of the trek to Baseball House, I bore her with the details about the two pieces I’ll be performing for my midterm next week. When we finally reach the party, Kendra stands on the sidewalk, giving it the same disbelieving look I did the first night I came here.
“We’re in the right place, trust me.” I head toward the porch, motioning for her to follow. “It’s terrifyingly quiet, huh?” But as I get closer to the front door, not only can I hear the sound of music from inside but also someone’s harsh, racking sobs coming from the dark corner of the wraparound porch. Biting down hard on my lip, I try to remember the last time I cried like that and why. When I do, my stomach pitches because my thoughts immediately hone in on the vicious slut-shaming from several months ago.
“I’m looking for someone to take you home, okay?” I hear a girl whispering softly. I edge closer to see she’s leaned over a much smaller girl sitting on the porch floor. “Let me just call—” When she steps out the shadows, I get a glimpse of her face, and I feel something sharp squeeze my heart. It’s Corinne’s friend Ella and panic automatically sets in as she and I lock eyes.
“Are you here to pick her up?” she asks me, sounding almost hysterical herself.
“What happened?” I ask calmly. At the sound of my voice, I hear shuffling. My breath catches when my roommate comes out of the shadows, her face wet and mascara running down her cheeks. She throws herself into my arms and buries her face against my chest.
I stand motionless for a few seconds, staring back and forth helplessly from Ella to Kendra before I touch Corinne’s shoulders and push her back just enough for me to get a good look at her tear-streaked face. “What happened?” I repeat, each syllable ground out.
“Oh my god,” is the only thing she manages to say before the frantic sobbing starts once again. By now, the door to the house has opened and a few people are looking at the situation unfolding out here, murmuring amongst themselves. This time, I hold her to my chest, hoping to shield her from their stares.
I glare at Ella over the top of her head. “Can you tell me something?” I snap at her as Corinne’s tears soak my shirt. “Did someone hurt her?”
Corinne leans away from me. She swipes the back of her hand over her face, clenching her fingers as she takes a deep breath. Her words are garbled, but I still manage to make out, “My dad, Evie. My dad is gone,” before she leans over and vomits all over my shoes.
Chapter Sixteen
“He had a heart attack right after he got home from work. In the garage, of all the places. It took my mom awhile to get ahold of me because my stupid phone went dead and I couldn’t turn it on until I borrowed Ella’s charger,” Corinne tells me much later after Kendra has fallen asleep in my bed.
I’m sitting on the floor with my back against the edge of the footboard, facing my roommate. She turns her head from me for a moment, releasing a choked sob. I wrap my arms a little more tightly around my knees and close my eyes.
“I can’t believe he’s gone. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, a sharp pain piercing my chest. I hate this. I hate it so much that I hurt for her. “I’m so damn sorry, Corinne.”
“Thank you. And sorry for puking on your shoes.”
“They’re just shoes.”
She doesn’t say another word to me after that, but I can hear her crying into her pillow until finally there’s nothing but silence in the room. My body feels stiff when I push myself to my feet, and I have to practically drag myself out of the room so I can take a shower. Before I retreat into the bathroom, I hear my suitemate’s door open and Lara pokes her head out.
“I know Corinne’s leaving in the morning, but can you let her know that both me and Hannah are keeping her family in our prayers? I know the two of them aren’t on the best of terms, but Hannah’d never wish this on anyone.”
I nod. “I’ll let her know.”
I relay the message to Corinne early the next morning as we sit on the benches just outside our dorm. Her older sister is due to show up at any minute now to take her home until after fall break.
“Tell them I said thanks.” Leaning forward on her forearms, she shakes her head, making her curls fly around her face before she whispers, “I appreciate you staying with me last night. Your best friend is here, and you ended up spending most of your night with me.”
“Trust me, Kendra completely understands.”
“Are you sure?”
I debate with myself for a split second before I tell her, “Kendra was my sister’s best friend growing up.” When Corinne’s green eyes narrow in confusion, I hear her gasp a few seconds after I continue, “My sister died a couple years ago. She was hit by a drunk driver while she was jogging home from cross country practice. So please believe me when I say that Kendra understands. For a long time, it felt like she was the only one who did.”