creeps!
Chloe shook her head. “I can’t talk to him right now.”
Rachel stroked her daughter’s hair. “You need to relax, Chloe. Turn your phone off. Get some sleep.”
Chloe shot an evil look at her mother. “How, Ma? Huh? You think I can just relax and fall asleep when I just found out my friend was killed?” Jason was more than a friend to Chloe, but that was her business. She was devastated for reasons her family couldn’t understand.
Rachel didn’t get upset at the way her daughter was speaking to her. She understood that Chloe had to grieve for her friend. “No, Chloe,” she said. “But you’re not doing anything but laying around and crying.” She took a deep breath. “Jason was a good young man. He was robbed of his life, and I can fully understand you being upset about that. But you can’t keep going like this. It’s been two days, and you’re not answering your phone, you’re not eating anything. All you do is sit in here andcry. It’s dark in here, and it feels gloomy and sad, Chloe. We’re worried about you.”
Chloe ignored her mother and continued to cry, distraught that Jason had been slain so viciously. An hour later, Trey was at her front door.
Willow answered it and looked Trey up and down. Neither of them spoke at first. Willow refused to acknowledge him after he had so coldly ignored her the last time they saw each other.
Trey cleared his throat. “I just came to see if Chloe is all right. I been calling her, and she’s not answering—so I got worried.”
Willow smirked. For someone who was going to college he sure didn’t speak proper English.
I been calling her. . . .
She looked Trey square in the eye. “Why didn’t you speak to me that day on the ferry?” she asked him.
Trey didn’t blink. He looked at her dead-on and said, “I don’t remember seeing you on the ferry. Chloe mentioned something about that to me, but I didn’t know what she was talking about. Pardon me, though, ma, if I didn’t see you.”
Willow stood her ground. “You saw me.”
Rachel appeared in the doorway behind Willow, and her face bore a forced smile. “Hi, Trey.”
Trey looked at Chloe’s mother. “I’m sorry to come by unannounced, Ms. Webster. I just wanted to check on Chloe since I haven’t heard from her in a while.”
Rachel nodded slowly. “Everyone is just really upset right now, Trey. One of Chloe’s friends was murdered, and she’s taking it really hard.”
“What happened?” Trey asked, concern etched on his face.
Rachel showed him the newspaper article, and Trey read it, shaking his head in disbelief. He could see why Chloe was so upset. “Can I see her?” he asked.
“Well, she’s just trying to get some rest right now, Trey. I’m sure she’ll call you when she’s feeling up to it.”
“I just hate knowing that she’s upset. . . .” He had hoped to see her and offer his condolences. But Willow clearly had an attitude, and Rachel wasn’t budging. So Trey shrugged and turned to leave.
Chloe came out and called after him. “Trey, come in.” She stood there with eyes puffy from crying, her hair swept off her face in a messy ponytail. Her nose was red, and her Juicy Couture sweatsuit looked like loose loungewear on her.
Rachel touched her daughter gently on the shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to try and lay down for a little while?”
Chloe looked at her mother sharply out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sure.”
Rachel nodded, and Chloe led Trey down the hall to her room. He stepped inside, and Chloe shut the door behind them. He didn’t know what to say, since Chloe’s sadness was written all over her face. “I’m real sorry to hear about your friend.”
Chloe didn’t respond. Instead she stared silently at the floor.
“I was worried about you when you didn’t answer my calls. I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have come over. . . .”
Silence.
Trey sat down on the foot of her bed. “Your mother told me what
Chloe shook her head. “I can’t talk to him right now.”
Rachel stroked her daughter’s hair. “You need to relax, Chloe. Turn your phone off. Get some sleep.”
Chloe shot an evil look at her mother. “How, Ma? Huh? You think I can just relax and fall asleep when I just found out my friend was killed?” Jason was more than a friend to Chloe, but that was her business. She was devastated for reasons her family couldn’t understand.
Rachel didn’t get upset at the way her daughter was speaking to her. She understood that Chloe had to grieve for her friend. “No, Chloe,” she said. “But you’re not doing anything but laying around and crying.” She took a deep breath. “Jason was a good young man. He was robbed of his life, and I can fully understand you being upset about that. But you can’t keep going like this. It’s been two days, and you’re not answering your phone, you’re not eating anything. All you do is sit in here andcry. It’s dark in here, and it feels gloomy and sad, Chloe. We’re worried about you.”
Chloe ignored her mother and continued to cry, distraught that Jason had been slain so viciously. An hour later, Trey was at her front door.
Willow answered it and looked Trey up and down. Neither of them spoke at first. Willow refused to acknowledge him after he had so coldly ignored her the last time they saw each other.
Trey cleared his throat. “I just came to see if Chloe is all right. I been calling her, and she’s not answering—so I got worried.”
Willow smirked. For someone who was going to college he sure didn’t speak proper English.
I been calling her. . . .
She looked Trey square in the eye. “Why didn’t you speak to me that day on the ferry?” she asked him.
Trey didn’t blink. He looked at her dead-on and said, “I don’t remember seeing you on the ferry. Chloe mentioned something about that to me, but I didn’t know what she was talking about. Pardon me, though, ma, if I didn’t see you.”
Willow stood her ground. “You saw me.”
Rachel appeared in the doorway behind Willow, and her face bore a forced smile. “Hi, Trey.”
Trey looked at Chloe’s mother. “I’m sorry to come by unannounced, Ms. Webster. I just wanted to check on Chloe since I haven’t heard from her in a while.”
Rachel nodded slowly. “Everyone is just really upset right now, Trey. One of Chloe’s friends was murdered, and she’s taking it really hard.”
“What happened?” Trey asked, concern etched on his face.
Rachel showed him the newspaper article, and Trey read it, shaking his head in disbelief. He could see why Chloe was so upset. “Can I see her?” he asked.
“Well, she’s just trying to get some rest right now, Trey. I’m sure she’ll call you when she’s feeling up to it.”
“I just hate knowing that she’s upset. . . .” He had hoped to see her and offer his condolences. But Willow clearly had an attitude, and Rachel wasn’t budging. So Trey shrugged and turned to leave.
Chloe came out and called after him. “Trey, come in.” She stood there with eyes puffy from crying, her hair swept off her face in a messy ponytail. Her nose was red, and her Juicy Couture sweatsuit looked like loose loungewear on her.
Rachel touched her daughter gently on the shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to try and lay down for a little while?”
Chloe looked at her mother sharply out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sure.”
Rachel nodded, and Chloe led Trey down the hall to her room. He stepped inside, and Chloe shut the door behind them. He didn’t know what to say, since Chloe’s sadness was written all over her face. “I’m real sorry to hear about your friend.”
Chloe didn’t respond. Instead she stared silently at the floor.
“I was worried about you when you didn’t answer my calls. I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have come over. . . .”
Silence.
Trey sat down on the foot of her bed. “Your mother told me what
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