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

While I wait for the officers to finish up inside my house, I notice Val is missing from her usual perch at her window. Maybe she got in trouble for spying again. Who knows? I hope she is okay, though. I don’t know what I’d do without that little raven-haired girl in my life.

After updating Andrea with what happened over the phone, Officer Zimora offers to drive me home, but instead of dropping me back at Marcus’s, I get him to drop me at Abbey’s. It’s probably a bad idea, but I have too many uncertainties in my life, and I need to start clearing them up. Abbey is one of those uncertainties. I don’t understand why she has turned on me, but I’m determined to find out.

I sit on the sidewalk, enjoying the warmth the spring sun brings, scrolling through SnapChat, out the front of her house. I wait for about thirty minutes before she makes an appearance, and she doesn’t see me there as she walks up the street with her head buried in her phone. I stand and wipe the grass off the back of my black leggings, watching her approach.

“Abbey.”

My voice causes her to stop in her tracks, her eyes darting up from her phone to see me standing mere feet in front of her. She looks different. Tired. Dark shadows sit under her eyes, and weight loss has sunken her cheeks. Her sun-kissed skin isn’t glowing as much as usual, and even her blonde braid seems dull.

Worry flits across her face briefly before it’s covered up with impatience.

“What are you doing here?” She snaps like I’m the one who did her wrong.

“Why do you think I’m here, Abbey? I want to know why you have turned on me?”

Sighing, her shoulders drop, and she looks down to her feet. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me,” I say simply.

“I can’t.” Abbey shakes her head, glancing back up at me momentarily, her brown eyes not seeming as bright as usual.

“What did I do, Abbey? I’ve wracked my brain trying to think of what I did to you that would cause you to end our friendship.”

“I can’t talk about this.” Abbey’s voice wavers before she continues. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.” She steps around me, walking briskly up her front lawn.

I turn and catch up.

“Why did you show Tasha the picture’s I sent you? Why did you tell her my secrets? Why did you let her spread lies about me? Why did you stand by and watch her hit me when you know everything I’ve been through?”

Tears spring to Abbey’s eyes as she stops walking and looks at me but glances away quickly. It was enough for me to see the pain behind her brown eyes.

“Look Lexi, I’m sorry, okay.” Abbey declares, looking back at me. “I’ve made some bad decisions lately, and I can’t take them back. There is no way of making up for what I’ve done. You should stay away from me. Now I need to go.”

“Wait!” I grab Abbey’s wrist, and she flinches in pain. It’s not pain I’ve caused either; it’s pain that’s already there. Frowning, I let go, not wanting to hurt her. “What’s wrong with your wrist?”

Abbey tries like hell to cover the pain she’s feeling, but the thing is, I’ve known her since we wore fairy wings and silly tulle dresses to the park. She can’t hide that from me.

“It’s nothing. I have to go.” She practically runs the few steps up to her front door before disappearing behind it.

I still have no idea what’s going on, but just like things with my mum and dad, there is definitely more to Abbey’s betrayal than what I thought. I know it deep in my heart. Yes, she betrayed me, but not to be one of Tasha’s minions. She betrayed me for another reason, but for the life of me, I can’t think what it could be.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I turn away from Abbey’s house and answer it while I start walking.

“Where’s my girl? Marcus had to duck home and grab his stuff for footy training and said you weren’t there.” Ayden’s voice instantly calms me. I don’t know how he does that, but I’m grateful.

“Ah- I’m walking back from Abbey’s.”

“Why were you at Abbey’s?” Ayden asks, sounding confused.

“It was time we had a chat,” I say, simply picking up my pace.

“And how did that go?”

“I still don’t know why she’s turned on me, but I do know that something more is going on.” I look around as I walk, paranoia always present. Shit, why did I think walking alone is a good idea?

“Oh? Why do you think that?” Ayden asks. He sounds puffed, his breathing ragged.

“A few things she said, and a feeling I have.” I say, “Ayden, what are you doing?”

“Jogging.” He huffs.

“Why?”

“You look beautiful today Lex. The way those leggings hug your arse… mmm.”

“What?” I squeak, realising he knows that I’m wearing my leggings. I didn’t have them on this morning when he left for school, so how does he know? I look around frantically, thinking he must be somewhere that he can see me.

He chuckles down the line. “I can see that pretty pink blush from here.”

Searching the area, my eyes catch his tall frame walking towards me on the other side of the street.

“Weren’t you walking home?” I ask, shocked to see him as he crosses the street to get to me.

He shrugs and then bends over, his hands braced on his knees as he puffs. “I was.” Puff. Puff. “But then you said.” Puff. Puff. “That you were walking.” Puff. Puff. “From Abbey’s.” He stands taller then, gaining his breath. “So, I turned around and ran here instead of going home. I was just down the road.”

I frown. “But how’d you know where Abbey lives?” If it were Jared or Marcus, then that would be understandable because we grew up together, but Ayden hasn’t been to Abbey’s before.

“SnapMaps,”