Sacrifice: Beyond Series, Book 2

Chapter 8

Allie

My body aches and my arm feels as if I've been stung by a hundred bee's all at once. The throbbing headache clouds my mind as it races with questions from Damion's comment. My uncomfortable feeling overrides my curiosity of Eve's past for now.

Eve cradles my head against her chest while holding the cool rag against my forehead. She sniffles, but remains silent. My tiredness takes over and I find myself drifting off to sleep. Eve kisses the top of my head.

"It's okay, baby. Rest now," she whispers.

I count Eve's breathes as I give in to sleep.

X X X X

When I wake, Eve isn't in bed with me. I hear pans being knocked around in the kitchen. I can only assume she is making dinner. I rub my eyes to clear the fog from them as I toss the blankets off of me. Once on my feet I stumble into the kitchen. I expect to find Eve, but instead see Lindy staring back at me.

"Lindy?"

"Hey, Allie. Are you feeling better?" she asks.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

"Oh." She waves my question off. "Eve asked me to come over. She said you weren't feeling well, but she had a meeting to attend."

"So, you're my babysitter," I say taking a seat on a bar stool by the kitchen counter.

Lindy laughs. "I wouldn't say that."

"Doesn't Logan wonder where you are?" I ask.

"He can look after himself for a while. Besides, he's working overtime."

"At least Eve sent you instead of my mother." I sigh.

"I heard it got a little rough at your birthday lunch." Lindy leans against the counter. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was my fault." I shake my head side to side. "I don't know what came over me. I thought all of it was behind me. I thought I could just move forward with my mom, forgetting everything that's happened. But..."

Lindy puts her hand on my arm. "You can't." She finishes my sentence. "You can't forget Allie. What you went through with your mom and dad left you traumatized. It takes time to work through the memories, the feelings," Lindy's voice cracks. She takes a second to clear her throat.

"Listen, I know what you're feeling. I've been there. Whether or not you believe me, it'll get better." She squeezes my arm. "You've been through a lot, Allie, but it has made you into the person you are today. It made you into the girl Eve loves. You have the gentlest of hearts, though I know that's a secret you like to keep." She smiles. She reaches up to the necklace she got for me. She turns a bead between her finger tips. "That's why I got you this. It helped me and I thought it could help you."

"You're too nice sometimes, Lindy," I say.

"Maybe, but you're too hard on yourself. All of the time."

"Maybe." I smile.

I wonder where Eve has gone, but its been awhile since I've spent time with my best friend. She goes back to the oven and slides a frozen pizza in.

"I'm not as good of a cook as Eve, but I didn't think I could go wrong with pizza."

"Never."