Worse for Hope- Book #2 in the WF Series

Chapter 26: Pacing

✿Bethane's POV:✿

Two pictures left.

One that's hidden and Yasmin doesn't know about, and one that's sitting in my hand. She left after we both cried to the Notebook and now I'm stuck here, staring at the photograph and then looking away.

I decide to get up and go get some fresh air or else I'll go crazy.

Maybe it'd be nice and get my mind sorted even though when I will look at the picture, nothing will change. I'll get it over with and still be the same person I am today.

I already finished all my work at the office and my school work after I got home, so it's not like I have something to distract myself with.

When I make it to the roof to get the said fresh air, my eyes land on Rider pacing just like before. He's pacing really hard right now and looks more stressed than I've ever seen him look. Almost in a concerning way.

"Rider," I call in worry, making him stop in his tracks and look over at me.

Instantly, he grabs his sheet of paper from the edge of the roof and begins to walk right past me.

I almost stop him. I do. But then I remind myself that I can't stop him or else I'll give in, and that won't happen.

No matter how worried I am, I put a stop to my actions and stay still as he walks right by me and shuts the staircase door behind him, not slamming it.

Even after he's gone, I stand here, frozen because it's odd to see him this angry or quiet. He usually has a lot to say and has told me before how he hates getting mad at people.

I sigh before walking over to the balcony and looking off the edge.

My brain hurts, and I know the memory of the picture is coming back whether I'm staring at it in my hand or not.

Flashback:

Friday, March 30

"Rider, can you hand me some clothes please?"I ask from inside the shower since I forgot to grab them.

Things with Rider have been going perfectly. Actually, a little too perfect which makes me afraid.

We still have our tiny arguments and get into disagreements, but Rider's the first one to shut it down which I find sweet.

Now that we're almost about to graduate, we talked about how we're going to make this work outside of high school. He wants to go to Ohio State while I want to go to Tennessee Tech University. He said we could make it work as long as we called each other every day and I came back as much as I could. He said he couldn't come in the beginning, but later, he would be able to. I was a little confused as to what he meant, but I said okay and we made out after that.

Rider hands me a pair of random clothes through the door.

"You're really about to see my fashion taste come to life," he teases, making me laugh as I take them from him.

When I look down at the clothes, I see he has absolutely zero fashion taste whatsoever.

He got a red shirt with teal jeans. That's not what makes the tears rush to my eyes though. It's the hat he grabbed.

Alex's hat.

My happiness comes tumbling back down and guilt invades my body.

I'm happy. I'm happy without her.

What kind of best friend am I?

"Wait, you have to show me," Rider calls from outside the door. "I want you to model it out like that girl who had a movie made where she judged other people who would do the same shit as her," he speaks about Tyra Banks, and I want to laugh but I can't. "Or was it a show?"