Fearless by Abby Brooks (best books for 8th graders .txt) 📗

her another miserable woman tied to a Prescott man.

Instead of knocking, I leaned my head against her door, imagining her inside, cooking, cleaning, slipping around in those damn socks. Larry was still with her, and the little guy was better off without me, too.

“I love you,” I murmured. “I could have loved you for the rest of my life, but I would have broken you.”

With that, I lifted my head from the door and fought my way back to my house. I’d done the right thing. Evie was better off, even if it meant I’d never be happy again.

Evie

I actually got so far as pulling on my coat and my shoes. I had Larry in my arms, and planned on using him as my opening salvo. After all, I hadn’t meant to adopt a cat. I’d only taken him for the short time Alex would be busy writing and fully intended on returning him when the manuscript was done.

I stopped in front of my door.

Could I do it?

Could I see him?

After everything he said to me, could I face him? Just hand him the cat and ask all the questions that had been floating in my head for the last week?

I didn’t think I could. I leaned my forehead against the door, crying softly as I imagined all the things I thought Alex was.

He’d used me just like Drew had.

“At least I got a sweet cat out of the deal,” I murmured, kissing Larry on the head before lowering him to the floor.

I took off my coat and hung it in the closet. Yanked off my shoes and set them by the door. When I peeked out my window to see the snow, I could have sworn I saw fresh footprints from his door to mine, but no. That was surely my imagination.

Alex and I were done.

If we’d ever even started.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Evie

“I’m thinking I might move back to Amelia’s for a while. Put the house on the market.” I leaned on the counter at Sweet Stuff and barely met Izzy’s eyes.

She folded her arms and shook her head, the neon lights playing in her hair. “I’m sorry my brother’s such a dick. I really don’t want you to leave, but I completely understand. I couldn’t stand being his neighbor either. I’m not sure I can stand being his sister, after what he did to you.”

Her brown eyes looked so much like his I had to glance away. “I just don’t know what to do with myself. He sent over my final paycheck and I haven’t seen him since…” I shook my head. I hated thinking about that morning. The cold set to his jaw. The lack of feeling in his eyes. The way he regarded me like a fool when he told me I’d been useful.

“I don’t understand it, Evie. I was so sure he wasn’t like Dad. I guess that was wishful thinking.” She straightened and shook her head again.

I wanted to ask her about scene forty-eight. I wanted to know if he’d left it in the book because there was still a part of me that utterly rejected what happened. Still a part of me that couldn’t reconcile who I thought Alex was, with who he turned out to be. Surely, Izzy had read the finished manuscript. Surely, she’d know…

I brushed away the wishful thinking. Fearless Evie didn’t make the same mistake twice. She lived. She learned. She moved on.

“I started writing,” I said. “A little. Maybe that was the reason Alex came into my life. To show me what it really means to be brave. I can’t let other people’s shittiness keep me from being whole.”

“I wanted him to come into your life to make you happy. And him happy. And maybe give me a sister.” Izzy offered a sweet smile. “But, helping you move past the Drew ordeal and start writing is a pretty solid consolation prize.”

“You thought we’d get married?” The words tightened my throat and I swallowed down a lump.

I would not cry. Not over him. Not anymore.

“I’d never seen my brother so happy. I gave you guys a year before he popped the question.” She shrugged and slid her hands in her back pockets. “Shows what I know.”

“Between you and me, I’d definitely practiced signing my first name with his last, and I definitely felt like an idiot for doing it, especially after…you know…everything.” I’d honestly thought Alex loved me. Turned out he was just using me, too.

“You’ll come visit right? Or at least check in through Greta’s Facebook page?” Izzy came around the counter and wrapped me in a tight hug. “I’ll never forgive my brother for this, you know.”

“I’ll be around.” I’d miss Izzy. And Jude. And Austin. Hell, I’d even miss Greta Macmillan and her blasted Facebook page.

But I wouldn’t miss seeing Alex’s house every day and wondering how I’d been so wrong about him. I wouldn’t miss watching him stroll past my house with Morgan or the sad glances the people of Wildrose had for me. I wouldn’t miss Bridget’s sniffling smile when I stepped into Overton’s, like my tragedy was hers, too.

“I just need a chance to heal. As soon as I sell the house, I’ll find a place of my own. I love Amelia, but I need to figure out how to be myself with myself, if that makes any sense.”

“It does. But Evie? Who you are is pretty amazing. I hope you don’t need to do too much soul searching to realize that.”

I gave my friend another hug and pressed her cheeks together. “I’m gonna miss you.”

“Nah. We’ll stay in touch. Can’t miss me if we never really say goodbye.”

Amelia paced her living room, navigating the boxes of my things while Larry batted at the skirt swirling around her ankles. I’d never talked myself into giving the cat back, and Alex had never asked. Larry was better off with me anyway. “I am so disappointed in your spirit guides. I genuinely