At the End of the Day

6

Chapter 6// Blue

"Hey, babe." I turn my head when I feel a hand on my waist and smile at Valentino. He is one of Jordan's friends but he slowly became mine.

"Hey! How was your holiday?!" I wrap my arms around him tightly.

"Babe, I didn't wanna leave. Louie and I were at it every single minute of the day. It still hurts to sit down." My eyebrows raise in shock at his words. Really didn't need to know that one.

"That is... lovely." That is all I can muster up. "If you're looking for Jordan, she's not here today. She said she's got a mad migraine."

Valentino wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads us towards the exit of the library. I quickly glance over my shoulder and make eye contact with Apollo. I throw him another smile, but this time he doesn't return the gesture.

My face falls.

Have I done something wrong? I thought we were both okay. After waking up this morning, Apollo left hastily because he needed to check on Arabella, but he didn't seem annoyed or anything.

I'll have to message him later and check if he's okay.

Valentino follows my line of vision, and I look up to see his eyes widen. He looks down at me with furrowed eyebrows and worry on his face as we walk out of the library together.

"What is it?" I question him.

"Why were you looking at Apollo Hayes?"

"What? I wasn't looking at Apollo. I was trying to see if I put my book back correctly." As we round the corner, I pretend to be confused. I do not know where we are headed, but I'll just follow Valentino's lead.

"Good, I've heard some weird shit about that guy." My eyebrows instantly furrow.

"What do you mean?" Weird shit? Apollo?

"Obviously you weren't here last year, but a rumour went around that he got admitted to a psychiatric ward after he tried to kill himself." I instantly stop walking and stare at Valentino with wide eyes.

Apollo tried to kill himself?

Then I start to feel anger because that was not Valentino's story to tell.

"How is that weird? That's sad, not weird." I defend Apollo and watch as Valentino looks at me with confusion etched onto his face. "Just because he went to a psych ward doesn't make him a bad person."

"Will you let me finish?" Valentino places his hands on his hips and I nod for him to continue. "When he got out, people were saying he tried to kill someone." I stumble back in shock.

Apollo, trying to kill someone?!

There's no fucking way he would possibly even try to do that. He wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Do you have proof?" Valentino shakes his head. "Then stop spreading rumours if you don't know that they're true. It's not fair to that person!" I turn on my heel and walk in the opposite direction.

"Blue! Where are you going?!" Valentino calls out, his voice filled with shock at my outburst.

"Home!" I yell over my shoulder.

•••

I don't get home until around five in the evening, deciding to stop in a coffee shop and sit in there for an hour before finally walking home. As I enter my house, I'm surprised to see Arabella sitting on the sofa with my little brother — both of them watching some cartoon.