When Best Friends Become Strangers

of antiseptic and the

. Beeping sou

V. "Welcome back, Ethan.

y cut on your scalp. Stitches. But the doctor sai

scarring. S

like it was s

cho. He' d act

is eyes when he did i

to hurt

ia and Maya, they' ve been here all nigh

he word so

ice raspy. "I don'

rised but nodded. "Al

despite my refusal, t

in, looking like they

pensive clothes rumpled. Olivia' s eyes were

.. genuinely

her voice trembling. "Oh, E

our fault. We should have seen what Liam w

or a fleeting second, I almost

poke again, a

"He' s been writing you letters. Apologies. He didn' t mean for t

tack of envelopes. Lia

n after he' d put me in the ho

y voice flat. "He pushed m

n, her eyes begging for my understanding. "He f

," I

, please. Don' t be lik

t him to feel a fraction of what I felt when my head

away, facing th

." Olivi

d later," Maya said softly

en I heard their footsteps ret

e ag

ensified. Or maybe it w

yes shut, fight

hem. Not

ught I had. For the trust

gain. This time,

face etched with worry. My dad

y," Mom whispered,

when I

ot and fast. Sobs

e, Mom," I choked out. "T

ed on my shoulder,

with anger. "That boy, Liam Spencer. He' s g

as a balm to

ith me, their prese

ince I woke up, I fe

otect me. The

all that