Chapter 48 STUNNED SILENT
MERRIELYNN.
I sat cross-legged on my bed, trying to focus on the book in my lap.
The story was interesting, but I wasn’t really reading.
I kept fiddling with the little silver necklace I always wore, running my fingers along its chain absentmindedly. It was something I did when I was anxious, though I’d never admit it.
The quiet in my room was calming, and for once, I felt like I could breathe.
But that peace shattered when I heard a sudden, rapid knock on my door. It wasn’t polite or casual; it sounded frantic, almost desperate. My heart immediately jumped, and I froze, the book slipping out of my hands and onto the bed.
For a split second, I thought it might be Cormac.
He had a habit of barging into my room without warning. But then I realized it couldn’t be him—he never knocked. Cormac didn’t believe in boundaries, not when it came to me. If he wanted to say something, he just walked right in, like he owned the place. The thought bothered me more than it should have.
I stood up slowly, my legs feeling a little shaky. The knock came again, faster this time, and I recognized the voice that followed. “Mere! Open up! It’s me!”
Emorie.
I exhaled in relief, though I couldn’t ignore how my body tensed from the initial shock. Brushing the wrinkles out of my pajama pants, I shuffled toward the door and opened it. Emorie was standing there, her dark curls bouncing as she practically vibrated with excitement. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was grinning so wide it looked like she’d just won the lottery.
“Oh my God, Mere, you’re not gonna believe what just happened,” she said, pushing past me into the room before I could even respond.
I shut the door and turned to face her, a mix of confusion and curiosity bubbling up inside me. “What are you talking about?”
Emorie spun around, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. “Okay, so first of all, I wasn’t even gonna do it, but Chaos made it sound so good, and I couldn’t say no!” She was talking so fast I could barely keep up.
“Wait, slow down,” I said, sitting back on the edge of my bed. “What did you do?”
She plopped down beside me, her energy spilling over as she leaned in close, her eyes wide. “We went to Juniper’s apartment,” she said, lowering her voice like she was sharing a top-secret mission.
I blinked. “Juniper’s apartment? Why?”
Emorie grinned, clearly enjoying the suspense. “To break her arm.”
I stared at her, sure I’d misheard. “What?”
“You heard me!” she said, laughing. “We broke Juniper’s arm. Well, technically, I did it, but it was Chaos’ idea. He drove me there, told me what to do—it was insane!”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.
Juniper. Cormac’s ex. The same Juniper who had yanked my arm hard enough to dislocate my elbow just a few days ago.
The pain had been awful, but I hadn’t expected anyone to actually do something about it—least of all Cormac.
“You broke her arm,” I repeated slowly, trying to make sense of it.
“Yeah! I mean, it wasn’t easy. She fought back, obviously. But Chaos told me how to do it, and, well…” Emorie shrugged, looking oddly proud of herself. “Mission accomplished.”
I sat there, stunned. Cormac had done this? I didn’t know what to think. When I’d shown up with my arm in a sling, he hadn’t seemed to care. I’d even hinted that Cormac was behind it, but he hadn’t reacted. It wasn’t like the time he found out she was the one who gave me a black eye. But this time… nothing. At least, that’s what I thought. Now, he was sending Emorie to Cormac’s apartment?
“That’s… I don’t even know what to say,” I finally admitted, shaking my head.
“Say thank you?” Emorie teased, nudging me with her elbow.
I laughed a little, despite myself. Emorie was so full of energy, it was hard not to get caught up in it. “I just can’t believe Cormac would—”
“Chaos is crazy,” she interrupted, grinning. “But in a good way. He really cares about you, Mere. He didn’t say it, but I could tell.”
I didn’t respond right away.
The idea was hard to wrap my head around. He was so confusing. One minute, he was distant and cold, acting like I didn’t matter. The next, he was sending someone to break Juniper’s arm for me.
Emorie must have noticed my silence because she changed the subject. “Anyway, enough about that. We’ve got the auction dinner rehearsal tomorrow, right? What are we wearing?”
I smiled, grateful for the distraction. “I don’t know. I was just going to throw something together.”
“No way,” Emorie said, jumping up from the bed. “We’re picking outfits right now.”
Before I could argue, she was already rummaging through my closet, pulling out dresses and holding them up for inspection. I joined her, and soon the room was a mess of fabric and laughter.
“What about this one?” Emorie asked, holding up a sparkly black dress.
“Too much,” I said, wrinkling my nose.
She tossed it onto the growing pile on the floor. “Okay, how about this?”
I held up a simple blue dress. “This might work.”
Emorie nodded approvingly. “Cute. You’ll look amazing in that.”
We spent the next hour trying on outfits, laughing at the ones that didn’t fit quite right and debating over accessories. At some point, Emorie started talking about a new crush she had, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
“Are you even serious about this one?” I teased, slipping on a pair of earrings.
“Of course I am!” she insisted, though the grin on her face gave her away.
I shook my head, laughing. Emorie was always falling for someone new, but I loved that about her. She was fearless in a way I wasn’t, always throwing herself into things without overthinking.
By the time we finished, it was late, and we were both lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
“Thanks for coming over,” I said quietly.
Emorie turned her head to look at me, her expression softer now. “Always, Mere. You’re stuck with me.”
I smiled, feeling a warmth in my chest that I hadn’t felt in a while. For all the chaos in my life, at least I had her.