Deep (Heavy Hearts Book 2) by Sarah Duncan (reading tree txt) 📕

doing that either. It’s just another one of the many mysteries fucking up my life right now.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of it. I know the guys noticed something going on before you even went back to school. So maybe they have more information. We should have a chat with them tomorrow or something.”

I shrug, even though I know Ayden can’t see.

“Ayden?”

“Yeah?”

“What was it like when you went to the rehab clinic after the party with Muz?” I ask, unsure if I am overstepping. Ayden tends to be tight-lipped about his past, about his drug use. The moment Muz inserted himself into our life, Ayden’s past caught up with him, and now I’ve seen a glimpse at the person he’s been trying to run from.

“Actually. It was good. I never thought I’d say that. Isolating from my parents and you guys was a hard decision to make, but I knew I needed to go through some of the steps, even though I didn’t have to worry about a full-on withdrawal process this time. I needed to get my head right.”

“Did it work? Is your head right?” My voice quivers as I ask that because I’m pretty sure I know the answer.

“It kinda worked. The party brought up a lot of old memories and feelings. Cravings. My biggest problem is anger, Lex. That potent shit I snorted turns me into a monster.”

I hate the devastation in his voice. It cracks my heart wide open.

“You’re not a monster,” I whisper loud enough for him to hear.

Ayden is silent for a beat. These conversations really are too heavy, too deep to have before going to sleep.

“Ayden?” I whisper.

“Yeah?” He whispers back.

“I’m wearing a white Crossfade t-shirt and navy bootie shorts.”

The low rumble of his chuckle tops my heart up with a sprinkling of happiness.

“Thanks, Lex. I should let you get some sleep.”

“Okay,” sleep is hard to come by for me, but I agree anyway. “Goodnight, Ayden.”

“Good night Lex.”

When the line goes dead, I lay back in the darkness and look up at the shadows that dance across the ceiling. My heart seems both happy and sad right now. Happy because I really needed to have a conversation with Ayden that wasn’t me trying to fight him off, and sad because he hung up the phone, and now, I can’t hear his voice.

Today has been a massive day from hell. This morning feels like it happened two days ago, and as I toss and turn in the floral bed in the lilac bedroom, I strangely wish that I was back in my house so I could go out to my garage and punch the crap out of the bag.

I try to force myself to go to sleep, but as soon as I start to drift off, the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway intrudes my sleepy haze. I almost scream, only to realise that there is no one there. It had been a dream, but after the fourth time it happens, I throw the blankets back and tiptoe around the bed to crack open the door, peering into the dark silent hallway.

Marcus’s room is right across the narrow hall, so I close the door to the horrid lilac room and sneak through the one Marcus is behind.

“Marcus, are you awake?” I whisper-yell into the darkened room, unable to make out anything in the shadows. The sound of rustling sheets comes right before the bedside lamp clicks on, and I see Marcus sitting up in his bed, shirtless and his hair a tousled mess.

“You okay, Lex?” He asks, and I nod, but then shrug, and he chuckles.

“Can’t sleep?” He asks, and I shake my head at him. He nods and kicks his blankets back to stand out of his bed.

“Nightmares again?”

“Kind of.” I don’t want to elaborate, but he knows how things have been for me.

Walking over to his wardrobe, he grabs out some blankets and a pillow and puts them on the floor on the other side of his bed.

“I’ll take the floor.” He says, laying out a makeshift bed.

“No, don’t be silly. I’ll take the floor, Marcus.”

He scoffs. “Lexi, I’m taking the floor. Don’t even try to disagree. It’s what’s happening, so suck it up.”

I can see he’s not going to budge on the idea, so I walk across the room to climb into his bed.

“Jesus Christ, Marcus, when did you get so grumpy?”

“Shut up.” He chuckles, turning off the light and laying on the floor.

We are quiet for a few minutes as both of us try to get comfy.

“Marcus,” I whisper in the dark, “when did you notice Abbey acting weird?” After speaking with Ayden about Abbey, I can’t get her off my mind.

“On the Monday after you got back. Tasha was telling anyone that would listen that the news report was a lie and that your brother didn’t assault you. She...” Marcus hesitates.

“She what?” I demand, my blood turning to ice in my veins.

“She was telling everyone that you’ve been trying to seduce your brother ever since he moved back in and that you got him drunk and made him fuck you. She said you cried rape after your parents sprung you, and you’re trying to put the blame on your brother.”

Tears stream down the side of my face at hearing what Tasha has been saying. The light flicks back on, and the bed dips before Marcus pulls me to his chest in a hug.

“Why would she say those things?” I whisper past my tears.

“I don’t know, Lex. We’ve been trying to find out. Me and Jared tried to speak with Abbey a few times, but she pretended to ignore us or would walk off and hide. Then Daniel grew some balls and started acting like her fucking bodyguard or something. We haven’t been able to get close to her since. If it’s not Daniel blocking us, it’s Tasha.”

Sitting up, effectively breaking Marcus’s hug, I swipe away my tears and push my blonde waves back off my face.

“I don’t