Page 35 of Written In Flesh

There’s a faint pulsing in my head, and the space right behind my eyes starts to throb slightly. This bothers me. A feeling of déjà vu grabs hold for a second before I’m released. My gaze snaps once more to Madden’s, only to find him watching me this time, curious. There’s a flare of regret that sparks there too, but it’s chased away just as quick. He leans closer, until we’re almost eye level. My heart races in my chest, and I make the mistake of breathing him in. His lips pull back in a tight sneer, clearly knowing he affected me.

“Stay away from Killian, Skully. He doesn’t want you either.”

My mind is momentarily spun, and before I get the chance to retort, the three of them are moving again. They walk like a unit, like they’ve known each other their whole lives. And I guess they have. According to Baylee, they’ve all been friends since elementary school. I was the new girl that year. And for some reason, Madden is convinced I broke up his little friend group.

I hike my way back across campus and over to the duplex. The sun has set by the time I get there. Usually, I tend to take my time, but today, I’m in the mood to release some extra energy. It’s been so long since I ran. With how things shook out the last time I was in River Falls, I wasn’t in a hurry to find deserted roads and trails to run along. I had bigger things to worry about, like getting books, finding my classes, and avoiding my family and Madden.

Once I reach the front porch, I’m breathing deeply and trying to get my heart rate back under control. My hand shakes slightly as the key slides into the lock, and I let myself inside.

“Hey,” Baylee calls from the couch. She’s wearing her comfy clothes and a sheet mask over her face.

“Spa night?” I joke, noticing her nail polish set out and the reality show on the television.

“My econ class was no joke today. I decided I needed a little pampering tonight. How was the photoshoot?” She lifts her chin toward my camera bag.

I plop on the couch next to her and grab the nearest pillow, squeezing it tightly to my chest. “It was good until Killian showed up.”

Baylee’s eyes widen, and she moves from her relaxed position onto her knees, facing me. “Killian? What did he want?”

I shrug, my hand running down my face. “To throw me off. Mess with me. Well, mess with Madden more likely. It got really awkward when that asshole showed up.”

“Madden was there too!” Baylee practically screeches. Her hands are on the side of her face, and her mouth is open in shock.

I nod slowly. “Aero and Lily, too.”

“Ugh, of course she was there. Those boys can’t take a shit without her being within reach. It’s creepy almost. Aero surprises me, though. He usually has a late class on Mondays.” Baylee starts talking more to herself than me, her voice trailing off when she realizes what exactly she’s divulged.

My brow rises, and a smile curves my lips. “Aero, huh? I thought you couldn’t stand the fierce four.”

She rolls her eyes, sighing dramatically. “I can’t. I also just happened to have seen him coming out of the building once, and he mentioned it.” Baylee’s gaze drops to the blanket on her lap, her fingers absently playing with the pattern.

Deciding to let her off the hook for now, I reach for her hand, and once again, her eyes meet mine. “Remember how I said I didn’t want any more information?”

She nods her head yes, and her eyes widen a little. I smile at the look on her face like she’s about to explode from everything she’s been holding in.

“Well, I changed my mind.” I exhale, my gaze dropping to my lap while I squeeze her hand. “Being by Killian brought a rush of emotions. Not memories, but feelings I haven’t had. Like I was grateful but also scared. He made it sound like we were friends, but when Madden showed up, they fought. Madden he… he seemed concerned at first.”

“Concerned about you?” Baylee asks quietly, and I nod my head, too afraid to look at her. I can’t believe my own traitorous heart leapt at the way she said it.

“For a second, yeah. Then he went back to being an asshole, and I don’t know why I care.” I throw my hands up in the air and fall back against the sofa.

Baylee grows quiet, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. I can see the contemplativeness in her eyes. I can feel that she’s worried about me. “I don’t want to feed you my memories of what happened.”

I agree with her. “I’ll go into this, taking everything piece by piece.”

Sighing, Baylee pulls the sheet mask off and begins patting her face. Everything about her body language reads that she’s struggling. “I took the garbage out tonight.”

I feel the sensation of the lie in my palm, and my hand closes. “What?”

She shrugs and gives me an impish smile. “Just testing that it still works.” Baylee laughs while I jokingly glare at her.

“Yeah, yeah.” I wave her off. Once Baylee settles back in, she takes a deep breath and keeps her focus on me.

“When you first arrived at the school, Madden was drawn to you. It pissed off a lot of the girls in our school who had been vying for his attention for years. Some of them became very catty and aggressive. It seemed like all of it rolled off of you. The first time you guys walked in the halls together was when the tide changed.”

“Before that day, was I different? Or was I always the same back then?” I turn to her. Baylee’s face scrunches.

“I didn’t see you before you started school. I think you moved in like two weeks before the year started. When I first met you, you seemed overwhelmed by everything, but super nice to me. You were always nice to me, though. It just seemed like after that day with Madden, you became less joyful. The stoic posture, less smiling, less caring about who was around you.”