The Broken Truth

Chapter Six

“So, let me get this straight” Avery said as she flopped down on the deck next to me, dangling her feet in the cool water below. “He stayed with you at the party, walked you home, basically asked you out and then ran away right when he was about to kiss you?” 

I nodded my head, whilst braking off another piece of my breakfast croissant and offering it to Avery “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.”

She took it gratefully, a thoughtful expression on her face as she popped it into her mouth “And all because he wanted to know where you got your locket from?” She asked, raising both eyebrows in disbelief.

“Mm-hmm” I mumbled, shoving the last bit of my croissant into my mouth and savouring the chocolaty goodness. It’s like dessert for breakfast. Genius.

“That’s bullshit! What guy passes up an opportunity to get their freak on with a girl just because he doesn't like her locket?”

I choked out a laugh as I attempted to swallow what was left of my croissant before I ended up inhaling it instead, coughing as Avery laughed and smacked my back a few times. 

Catching my breath finally, I muttered a thank you before adding in a monotone voice “Interesting choice of vocabulary”

This only made Avery laugh harder and I couldn't help but giggle as she tried to compose herself. 

“I just meant, there has to be more to it.” 

Sighing, I leant back on my elbows enjoying the feeling of the warm sun on my face and the refreshing water on my feet, little ripples dancing out into the open water with each movement I made. I knew she was right, I’d spent the majority of the night going over what had happened. And I’d come up completely empty. 

Avery and I sat for a while longer on the short pier just past the house as she filled me in on everything I needed to know for my first day at White Lake High on Monday, all thoughts of Damon momentarily forgotten, before a shrill ringing sounded from Avery’s pocket. 

She glanced at the screen, squinting under the bright rays of the sun “It’s Eliza, I’ll be back in a minute.”

As Avery’s retreating footsteps disappeared down the pier, I fingered the locket round my neck once more, my thumb brushing over the inscription on the back. I flipped the locket and whispered the message under my breath “I’ll love you ‘till my last breath”

Not that I needed to see it, I’d had it memorised long ago all the while wondering who gave it to me and more importantly; were they still out there?

A frown crossed my face as I once again thought about last night. None of it made any sense, what did my necklace have to do with Damon. We had never even met before yesterday.

A few minutes later the sounds of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts, and I dropped my locket, letting it bounce down against my chest. Holding my hand up to shield my eyes from the golden sun I looked up and saw Avery approaching, shoving her phone back in the pocket of jean shorts. 

“Let’s go” She said, tugging me up by my arm.

Laughing, and also slightly insulted by her failed efforts to pull me up, I decided to help her out and got to my feet. 

“Where are we going” I questioned.

“We’re meeting Eliza and the others at the café” 

A warm feeling flowed through me at her statement and I had to fight to keep the stupid grin off my face. It’s silly really, getting emotional over being invited to hang out but I’d never had this before; friends, real friends that weren't only trying to get something from me, apart from Julia of course. I’d been to so many different schools, I didn't think I could count them all on one hand, and it was always the same.