Sunny's POV
"So, would you say you've had any suicidal thoughts lately?"
"If we're gonna talk about this, I need a drink," I groan as I get up from the couch and get some water from the bubbler in the corner of the room.
"Sunny, I just want to get the full story here," Flora says as she obviously grows frustrated with me. My first therapy session with one of the "best therapists in the state" is going just peachy so far. I can prove it to you by saying that there's been no leigh way in the half hour I've been here.
Please note my sarcasm. This is the worst thirty minutes of my life, and that's coming from a girl who had a one-night stand with the school nerd last year.
But I think this is definitely worse than that.
"Fine. I've had... maybe a few of those thoughts lately. I mean, I've never had a plan per se, but I think that life is just too hard sometimes."
"I think that might be your PTSD kicking in, hun. Say the thing giving you PTSD didn't exist, would you find life easier to live?"
"If that day never happened," I start as I suck in a breath. "It would feel as if a huge weigh has been lifted off my shoulders."
Flora smiles at me. "Now we're getting somewhere. What was her name?"
Tears form in my eyes before I choke out, "Laila. Her name was Laila."
...
"Sunny!" I hear that all too familiar voice shout from next door. "I've been looking all over for you. You're parents told me you were running errands."
"Ah. Well, that I was. You know me, always running errands," I fake-chuckle. He looks at me quizzically before I continue on.
"It's supposed to rain any minute; wanna come back to my place?"
My mind is telling me to say no, but my heart is screaming— "Yeah, sure."
"Great." He leads me inside his house and into he sunroom. All around us, the crystal-clear windows show the pitter-patter of the rain as it starts to fall.
"Your mom not home?"
"Nope," he tells me.
"And your dad? When do I get to meet him?"
He wrinkles his nose and I realize that that probably was one of the worst things I could've said in this moment. "He's not around. Anymore, anyway. He left last year."
"Oh god, Jude. I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"
"That's okay. You probably wouldn't have liked him anyway. He's a dick," Jude chuckles. "But tell me more about your family. Your parents seem wonderful."
I smile. "They are. Super supportive and relaxed. Pretty much everything I need right now."
"Any siblings?" he asks.
God, I know he's just trying to be nice and get to know me, but the question just makes me want to bawl into tears.
"Yes. I have a sister. Laila," I whisper, hoping he doesn't hear the trembling in my voice.
"Does she live here?"
"Um, no. She's in college; lives in an apartment off campus with her fiancée."
Technically I'm not lying. All of those things used to be true, anyway.
"Sunny! You won't believe what just happened!" Laila shrieks into the phone over FaceTime.
"I have a guess," I say cheekily as she holds up her hand to reveal the diamond ring that was placed on her ring finger probably just a few minutes before. Laila and her boyfriend Ryan had been dating since they were 16, and now at 21 he finally proposed to her after having the ring for over a year.
"You knew?!"
"Of course, I did, Lai! He asked for my permission like the gentleman he is." Laila inclines her neck to give Ryan a kiss on the cheek as he waves at me through the camera. "I call being your Maid of Honor."
"Like it was ever a doubt," she scoffs happily before hanging up.
She was so happy that day; I'll never forget the look of pure joy on her face.
But Laila never made it down the aisle.
YOU ARE READING
Jude and His Ray of Sunshine
Romance• Book 2 of the On Island Time Series • jude birks has always been an adrenaline junkie, and will do just about anything to make his best friends and family happy. he's a total loner and has never ~seriously~ been in a relationship. sunny ray is th...
