Page 127 of Graves

“I’m in.”

A hand lands on my shoulder and I flinch. It’s Liam, giving me an encouraging nod.

“Everyone has a bad day. It’ll be okay.”

Sam sits down on the couch and props his feet on the table. “See you the day after tomorrow!”

“Yeah, take it easy!” Liam calls in a sing-song voice.

I don’t even bother forcing a smile. The thought of spending tomorrow alone already tightens my throat. In the state I’m in right now, it could end badly.

Why can’t Koh see how fucking stupid it is to let Luke back into his life?

He figured out how dangerous that guy is himself.

What throws me off is that Luke seems like the lesser evil compared to me—or Koh wouldn’t have left with him two days ago.

“Everything all right?”

Sam is sitting there like he’s been watching me the whole time.

“Mhm…” I grunt.

“You don’t seem like you’re… here.”

He means well, but his words cut so deep I almost choke on them.

“Was I ever?”

“Yeah.” Sam tilts his head slightly. “Not right after you got out—that was understandable. But after that, it looked like you were finding your footing.”

I stare straight through him. I didn’t need to hear it that clearly.

“But then you drifted off again,” he continues. “Like you had no other choice but to go back down the same path you were forced to leave five years ago.”

“Oh fuck, man.” My voice is weak and I don’t have the energy for this conversation. Sam’s sincere words hit me so hard that the tears gathering in my eyes paralyze me.

“Koh is gone,” I mutter, staring at the floor while rubbing my forehead.

“Your house sitter?”

Sam sounds so incredulous that I look up. Something about the way I look seems to alarm him, because he takes his feet off the table, leans forward, and rests his elbows on his knees.

“What happened?”

I think about it, but my mind is blank.

“Did you two have something going on?”

“Well… kind of. I mean… it was supposed to be just fun, but then he said he had feelings for me.”

“And that’s not good?”

“I… I don’t know. That’s not even the point.”

“Then what is?”

“His ex showed up again last week. The guy is bad news, but Koh is completely blinded. I caught the two of them together two days ago.”