CHAPTER 24: SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE
POV: Ayoola Davis --- Esther didn’t say anything the first two days. She watched. Like a cat on a windowsill — still, sharp-eyed, waiting for something to twitch. I could feel her watching me in class, in the hallway, even during Literary Club. And when Nate clapped again for another one of my essays, I didn’t turn to look at him — I turned to find her. Esther. Her brow was furrowed. That was when I knew she was going to confront me. It didn’t take long. Saturday morning, just before I left the house for the restaurant, I got a text: > Meet me behind the chapel building. Come alone. Bring nothing stupid like denial. Typical Esther. I went. She was already sitting on the low wall, legs swinging, her shirt sleeves rolled up and a lollipop in her mouth like she’d been waiting h
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