Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Twenty-Six

❝body (pronounced ˈbɒdi or bod-ee, noun
the physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organs, of a person or an animal.❞

She woke up screaming again.

No one came in to comfort her.

No one cared that much.

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Robin was staring at her paper, thinking about her parents, when she heard a hand come down on the paper gently. "Robbie?"

She glanced up, seeing Jordan, and he sat down. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she lied. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You've been staring at your paper for ten minutes without doing anything. I wasn't even sure if you were breathing." He chuckled slightly, but went back to serious. "All good?"

"Yeah, yeah. Parents haven't been home in a while and I miss them."

"Right. The court case."

"Yeah." She looked up. "It wasn't her."

"Never said it was," said Jordan. "I don't know enough about it to assume what happened."

"Good," she mumbled, slightly trembly. "That's good." She looked back down at her paper, and Jordan sighed, putting his hand on her arm. She stared at it there, far darker than she'd ever be, contrasting against her skin.

"We're all here for you, you know," he said gently. "All of us."

She nodded, hearing rain falling outside. Today was her mother's birthday, and she was waiting in California for Elle's sentence or her release. "It's Valentine's Day," he said under his breath, glancing at her. "Did you know?"

"Yeah. It's my mom's birthday," she said.

"Right. I, uh, got asked out."

"Yeah?"

"I said no."

"Oh," she said. "Why?"

"Dunno. Didn't like her."

Robin laughed slightly, looking at her books, and Jordan sighed. "We're all here for you. Remember that."

"I know."

He rubbed her back gently, making her stomach fill with nervous butterflies, and she was suddenly not sure exactly what she'd been thinking about before he'd come along. "I'll call your granddad to pick you up, then."

"Okay. Thank you," said Robin, as Song handed her a bit of the caramel slice he had made. She took a bite, a small smile lighting up her face. "Thank you, Song."

"Take care of yourself, girl," he said, hugging her tightly. He smelled like pastries and sugar. "We're all here to talk to if you need it."

"I know. Thank you."

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Spencer was watching Phoenix drawing, before saying, "Nick, Elle wasn't really at college, was she?"

Phoenix sighed, putting his pencil down. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because you knew they were lying about some stuff," said Spencer. "Is that why she didn't call us?"

"Yeah. That's why."

"Where was she?"

"With Gabriel."