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“I do know that,” Zoey said, ss “Honestly, I don’t even knoheresad Sad any of this has happened It’s weird, you know?” She turned her head toward Elise “I’ve thought about Scott every day for the past year His existence was there in one I think I’ that”
Elise gave a soft nod in understanding “You’ve got a lot to process, but if you askto him”
“He sure as hell did,” Hazel agreed When Zoey looked at her in surprise, Hazel shrugged “I know I’m not usually one to wish harm on anyone, but we all answer to someone Scott’s choices could only lead him down one path”
Zoey leaned her head back against her pillow and closed her eyes, letting the quiet darkness fall over her “Rhys said that saht, but when Rhys confronted theized to me It felt sincere”
“Yeah, but the thing is,” Elise countered “That was an apology for you, not for hi to ood parts of his soul when he stood by and let what happened to you happen, and that’s what drove him to do what he did”
The thought of anyone being in thatup tight “But isn’t that sad? How long does so?”
Elise’s voice turned harsh “Forever, Zoey, because that’s how long you have to deal with it too”
With that states very clear Zoey opened her eyes and glanced between her friends “Yeah, but I don’t want to deal with this forever,” she acknowledged
Hazel and Elise exchanged a worried look before Elise said fir yourself”
“Of course not,” said Zoey, taking her friends’ hands and squeezing tightly “I’ve always known I had to keep going, no uess, after that picture ca to survive what had happened I kind of just took one step in front of the other to keep ed”
“Because we love you,” Hazel said
Elise smiled “We do, so much”
“And I love you both too” Zoey sain “At the sa You see, we had a plan Get ainst Jake and Scott at Phoenix That’s what drove us for a while”
Elise caught on “But then things changed?”
“Everything changed,” Zoey agreed with a nod “After ht I’d walk away and et ht, every tiet this lump in my throat I know that’s because I don’t want to move away I don’t want to leave either of you”