I lay in bed, my head buried under the pillows, trying to drown out the whirlwind of emotions and exhaustion. My body felt heavy, and the weight of the argument with Dad pressed down on me. I was so tired, I just wanted to be left alone.
The house was quiet now, save for the faint murmurs of my family downstairs. I heard someone knocking on the front door, but I didn't care. I had no interest in seeing or talking to anyone. I turned over, trying to block out the world.
Then I heard a voice that made me freeze. Leah's voice.
I sat up slowly, my heart pounding. What was Leah doing here? I hesitated, torn between wanting to see her and feeling too drained to deal with anything. I heard the murmur of conversation downstairs, too muffled to make out the words, but I could tell it was Leah speaking to my parents.
Curiosity got the better of me. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the top of the stairs, peeking down to catch a glimpse of Leah standing in the hallway. She looked worried, her face creased with concern.
I could hear bits and pieces of their conversation now.
"...just wanted to check on her," Leah was saying. "Is she okay?"
"She's upstairs," Mum replied softly. "She's had a rough morning."
Leah glanced up the stairs, and I quickly stepped back, not wanting to be seen yet. My heart was racing. I hadn't expected to see her, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.
I retreated to my room, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Why was Leah here? What did she want? I paced around my room, my earlier exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Part of me wanted to go downstairs and talk to her, but another part was still too angry and hurt from everything that had happened.
Then there was a soft knock on my door.
"Maddie?" Leah's voice called out gently. "Can I come in?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "Yeah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
The door creaked open, and Leah stepped inside, closing it quietly behind her. She looked at me, her eyes full of concern and something else I couldn't quite place.
"Hey," she said softly, taking a few steps toward me. "I heard you weren't feeling well."
I shrugged, not trusting myself to speak. I felt a lump form in my throat, the emotions of the past few days threatening to overwhelm me.
Leah sat down on the edge of my bed, leaving a space between us. "I know things have been rough," she said gently. "I just wanted to check on you."
I looked at her, my eyes filling with tears. "Why are you here, Leah?" I asked, my voice cracking. "After everything... why?"
Leah reached out, taking my hand in hers. "Because I care about you, Maddie," she said simply. "And I want to help, if you'll let me."
I collapsed into Leah's arms, the dam finally breaking. Sobs wracked my body as I clung to her, unable to hold back the torrent of emotions any longer. She held me tightly, her arms strong and comforting around me, and I let myself lean into her warmth.
"Why, Leah?" I choked out between sobs. "Why did you set me up? Especially with Ruesha, of all people?"
Leah pulled back slightly, enough to look into my eyes, her own filled with regret and pain. "Maddie, I... I didn't start out with the right intentions," she admitted, her voice trembling. "At first, it was for payback, for the things you had done in the past. I was angry and hurt, and I thought this was the way to get back at you."
