My Roommate

Chapter 44

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Ashley's POV—

My phone vibrating on my nightstand jolts me awake instead of my alarm clock. I yawn as I reach for my phone to turn off the alarm I had set last night—making my phone stop vibrating.

With the alarm turned off, I sit up and let my legs dangle off the edge of my bed as I stretch my arms up and over my head. When I open my eyes again, as an automica action, I look towards Evan across the room in her own bed.

Sleeping.

She was discharged from the hospital several days—last Saturday.

From what her doctor said, she's still heading in the right direction to make a full recovery. The scans she had done Friday were still clear, and she's able to walk somewhat on her own now. With more physical therapy, and a lot of rest, she should be able to start going back to her normal activities as soon as the end of May.

Maybe even sooner.

Like I have been for the past several days, I get out of bed and walk towards Evan.

For a moment, I just stand there and watch as she sleeps.

She's been doing a lot of that lately—more than she did while she was still in the hospital.

Knowing I should start getting ready, I pull my eyes away from her and head for the bathroom so I can take a shower and resume getting ready for school.

After my shower, getting dressed and applying makeup went by in a breeze. When I eventually walk out of the closet, it takes every fiber of my being to remain calm when I find Evan's bed empty.

I grab my bag from my desk and my phone from my nightstand before I walk out of our room. Like it is most days now, I walk out into the quiet hallway.

"Good morning, Ashley," mom says as I walk into the kitchen.

"Morning," is all I say back before I walk towards the kitchen table. There, I find Caleb, Evan, and Opal.

Caleb and Opal are the only ones to greet me as I sit down across the table from Evan, sitting next to the seat where mom usually sits. Evan doesn't say anything and instead just stares down at her bowl of cereal—mindlessly circling her spoon around the edge of the bowl.

Even though her recovery is going well, I'm still really worried about her.

Ever since she came back from the morgue while she was still in the hospital, from seeing Jaxon after she learned about his death, she's been really distant.

Barely talks—unless avoiding communication is unavoidable.

Barely eats—and really only does when Opal or someone else within this house urges her to.

She just looks so empty.

There's no hint of the girl who was so confident in herself. No light in her eyes. No smile, or hint of a laugh.

It's honestly a miracle that the only thing she does respond to is the occasional call of her name, and that she genuinely puts effort into her recovery.

I don't blame her, though.

I can't blame her.

She was really close to Jaxon, and loved him dearly. And I knew her life was going to shatter when she learned of his death, like how I did with my father's death. But I didn't think, neither of us thought that she was going to completely shatter.

It's honestly like she's just existing, not living.

Which is terrifying for all of us.

And it's because we're all on edge about it that at least one person is with her all the time. I'm with her throughout the night and when I come home from school to do my homework in our room.