Chapter 80

I looked over to the window while Adam played with my hair. The hole near the bottom right corner and the web of cracks surrounding it were a stark reminder of what had happened. It finally hit me.

Without that bullet coming through that window, my family would be preparing for a funeral. My funeral. I set Adam back down and walked over to the window, tracing the indents of the cracks with my fingers.

The doorbell rang, and I heard the sound of feet stomping down the hallway to answer it. People entered the kitchen carrying pizza boxes and bags stuffed with Chinese food.

I smiled to myself, looking around at my family. We were all the same. We loved our food.

I knew the next few days would be rough. I would have nightmares, this time of him pulling the trigger. Maybe it was time to talk to someone.

I walked over to my mom and wrapped my arms around her, resting my cheek on her back. She leaned back into me, rubbing my hands that were on her stomach.

“Hi, baby,” she murmured softly.

“Hi, Mom,” I replied, matching her softness. “I think it’s time for me to see a therapist.”

She turned her head to the side, lifting her arm to pull me closer. “If you want to, baby. But I think it would be the best thing for you. There’s no shame in it, we all need a little help from time to time.”

“I know, Mom.” I filled my plate with a variety of foods and walked into the living room where the other half of the family was gathered.

I settled on the sofa next to Hannah, across from Kyle and Andy who were lost in their own world. It was nice to just sit down and eat in peace.

But peace was short-lived. Kyle and Andy were practically devouring each other, causing everyone to scrunch up their noses at the excessive PDA.

“Ugh, Kyle, save that for upstairs, will you! I’m trying to eat here!” He pulled back from her, smirking at me and Hannah.

“Don’t be jealous, sis! We can share your best friend slash my girlfriend...” His tone was teasing as he bit into his pizza slice.

“Jealous? The only person who will be jealous is you. I’m pretty sure Andy kissed me before she kissed you...”

“What?” He snapped his head towards a guilty-looking Andy. “Are you serious? Please tell me she’s bullshitting me right now, babe?”

The room fell silent, waiting for her response. But her face said it all, and laughter erupted.

“Ugh! Andy! I mean, it’s hot that you did that, but my sister? Really?” He groaned, causing another round of laughter.

“I’ll make it up to you later, babe,” she promised, kissing him again. Everyone groaned at the sight of them making out again.

We all threw scrunched-up napkins at them to get them to stop.

“You have a lot of making up to do later, babe. A lot,” he smirked, pecking her once more. We all yelled ‘Stop!’ in unison.

“Not my fault you’re all miserable idiots who haven’t got girlfriends or boyfriends! Well, except for Knox... Speaking of, where is the psycho?” He poked fun at his best friend, who didn’t look amused.

I felt Hannah’s hand squeeze mine subtly. I played with my food, listening to the pending response.

“She’s not my girlfriend, so I don’t know and don’t care,” he replied nonchalantly, tossing a football in his hands.

“You have another fight?” Kyle prodded. I didn’t really want to know. ~Keep it shut.~

“Something like that...”

“What? I want to know what possessed my best friend to get back with her. Dude, I know she’s hot and all, but seriously?”

Andy reaches over to cover his mouth as he chews, a grin playing on her lips. “You’re such a guy,” she teases.

“You need to learn some manners, babe,” she murmurs, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

But the lightness of the moment fades when she turns to face Knox. “Did you ever consider that maybe that was his own foolish choice?” she grits out, her voice laced with tension. The room grows quiet, and Kyle’s eyes narrow in suspicion.

“Am I missing something here?” Kyle asks, his gaze darting between Andy and me. Andy meets my eyes for a brief moment before turning back to my brother.

“I just don’t like her. Plus, he could do so much better,” she says, forcing a smile at Kyle. She knows. Sam told her and Hannah what we saw. They’re both furious.

I’m fairly certain my older brothers and Knox’s older brothers are in the know as well. But not Kyle, Tyler, Brett, and Wes. I glance over at Sam, who’s glaring at Knox from the love seat. Tyson sits next to him, awkwardly chewing on his pizza.

“I know,” Knox says quietly, taking a sip of his water. Is he acknowledging that she doesn’t like her, or that he could do better? I’ll never know.

His words are cryptic now, filled with hidden meanings that I can’t decipher. ~Drop it, Alex,~ I tell myself. ~It’s not worth the effort. He’s moved on. So should you.~

But the look on Kyle’s face tells me he’s not entirely convinced. He doesn’t say anything, though. That can only mean one thing: he’s going to try to find out. If he does, both Knox and I are screwed.