Chapter 5

That night she and Peyton sat around the table eating left over fried chicken. They sat in silence. A couple times, Peyton had tried to make small talk but she’d only offered him short, monosyllabic answers in return.

After barely eating, she scraped her scraps into the trash and retreated to her room. As the night wore on, she became more and more restless. When she climbed into bed it was close to midnight. She tried to sleep but it failed to find her.

With a frustrated sigh, she kicked the blankets away and slipped from the bed. Careful as to not wake her father and brother up, she made her way down the stairs, thankful that she remembered exactly where each creaky board was and how to avoid each and every one. Once outside, she sat on the porch swing and curled her legs up beneath her.

Though it was late at night, it was still hot as hell. She wished she could get away with wearing something other than jogging shorts and a tank top. However, living in a house o