Page 40 of Don't Think

“Oh shit,” Nora mutters. “You have no idea what you just started.”

Well, Ana’s not smiling anymore. Instead, her eyes narrow before abruptly throwing her hands in the air.

“This beans-on-toast-eating motherfucker didnotjust say that!” she shouts. Although she has a somewhat smirk on her face now.

It is fair on both accounts though. Gareth did put Selena Gomez above Selena Quintanilla, who are two totally different people with two totally different fan bases. And his breakfast practically every morningisbeans on toast.

While everyone debates back and forth about Gomez vs Quintanilla, my eyes fall back to the floor. My mind slowly drifting back to that dark place I’ve crawled myself out of so many times that I’ve lost count.

Anxiety grips my throat while I sit here with every memory rushing back like a slap to the face. I’m about twenty seconds away from full-blown panic when a warm hand appears on my knee, and it stops bouncing immediately.

I didn’t even realize itwasshaking until the warmth of her hand settled it.

I look at Allie while she tilts her head and offers me an understanding smile. She slowly removes her hand, and the look in her eyes tells me everything’s okay… but right now it just doesn’t feel like it. I haven’t felt this lost in literal weeks. And one reminder of when everything started going wrong just sends everything crashing down.

She breathes in deeply before turning her attention back to everyone who’s still bickering back and forth.

“Well,” she says loudly. All heads turn to her, their arms slowly dropping but smiles still spread across their faces. “I think I’m done with the hard stuff tonight. Would anybody else like some wine?”

Ana narrows her eyes at Allie, pursing her lips. “I thought I told you no more playing host tonight?”

“I’d love some,” I jump in, glancing between them. “I’ll come help.”

Ana points a slow, dramatic finger at Allie. “You’re lucky,” she says teasingly.

Allie and I make our way to the stairs just as my vision decides to tunnel. My head is pounding, and not from the one measly shot. But I really needed to get away for a minute, and she somehow justknew.

When we finally reach them, I grasp onto the rail and turn toward her.

“Thank you,” I mutter, looking into her eyes so she can see how much I mean it.

She tilts her head and offers me a sweet smile. “No need,” she says with a shrug.

And I believe it.

She strikes me as someone who has the gift of being able to read others. Their emotions, what they need without them saying, but there’s one question that keeps popping up in my head every time I look at her.

Does someone do the same for her? Makes sureshe’sheard and seen. Someone to take care of her soul so it doesn’t turn to ash.

I guess that’s something I’ll find out when I get my head out of my ass.

Chapter Thirteen

Allie

Nora and her outright, overly personal questions are going to get us in trouble one of these days.

If someone I hardly knew asked why my last relationship ended—in the middle of adrinking game? Honestly, I probably would have shriveled right back into my turtle shell and called it a night.

I know she’s never been one to have a filter, but I figured today she’d at leasttryto bite her tongue.

Clearly, that was wishful thinking.

Jax and I finally make it to the kitchen just in time for a sudden flash to dance across the wall. The zigzag shapes stop me in my tracks, and when I look around, it suddenly clicks that we’re alone. Completely and utterly alone. In a dark kitchen.

I flip on the light and brace myself against the island, palms pressing into the cool surface. I run through every possible wayto apologize, but everything just sounds ridiculous. Where do I even start?Sorry, my friend doesn’t have a filter—please just ignore her.

If I were him, I would’ve been out the door already.