"Get up."

"But--"

"Olivia White, I know that you aren't sick anymore. I am tired of bringing you food constantly and trying to tend to your every need when you're not sick. Stop avoiding school, stop avoiding that boy who wants to talk to you, stop avoiding your friends. You're going to school today, you will be ready in the next twenty minutes, and you will be getting a ride from Emma. Now move."

I watched as my mother left my room the morning after Lincoln's confession, the morning after I had thought I would get the best sleep of my life but in actuality had the worst. There was nothing for me, there was nothing for me to do. Lincoln was gone from my life.

I hadn't said a word after those few I spoke after he talked for what felt like hours. I had laid in bed, tears streaming down my face, crying myself into random fifteen-minute bouts of sleep, waking up screaming and crying from some horrible nightmare or another every so often. I heard Lincoln calling my name when I would wake up, since I had forgone any thoughts of getting up and closing the window. He would call my name and I would ignore it, opting to turn over and ignore the pounding in my chest and the ache in my body.

He would stop calling my name after a little while, and I would drift off again. The cycle would continue. Every few minutes, all night long. Sleeping. Screaming. Waking. Calling. Ignoring. Back at it again.

I kept myself from screaming at my mother as she could be heard walking down the stairs, and refrained from throwing a fit in my bed. Instead, I calmly stood, closed the window and drew the curtains, and began to get myself ready for the day.

It was a robotic effort, if anything; I pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, grabbing whatever was closest to the top of my drawer. I tied my shoelaces of two shoes that I miraculously managed to match, and threw my newly-washed hair up in a ponytail. I swiped on some mascara and blush and sprayed my least favorite perfume before grabbing my phone and exiting the room altogether.

"Emma's outside." My mother informed me as she pointed to the front door. I thanked her, grabbed a granola bar, and made my way outside.

"Hey guys." I said as I climbed into the passenger seat of Emma's car. "Long time no see."

Emma and Patrick both nodded silently.

"Are you alright?" Emma asked.

I nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Good. I don't want to know the details, but you can tell me whatever you want to."

I thanked her and she began to drive off. As she did, I looked over at Lincoln's house. The front windows were wide open, and Lincoln was standing at one of them, staring after the car. The look on his face was the same one I could only imagine him having after he found out I had left the first time; defeat, anger, sadness. He looked lost. Broken.

I had never been so glad that Emma's car had tinted windows.

***

"OMG, you're back!"

"How's Lincoln Carter?"

"I saw that you two were dating!"

"Is he a good kisser?"

"How did you nab someone like him?"

"Where have you been for the past few weeks?"

"Did Lincoln whisk you off to an island for a romantic trip?"

"Are you guys getting married after you graduate?"

As hard and as diligently as Emma and Patrick tried, they were unable to completely shield me from the prying eyes of everyone at our high school. There was nothing they could do; the world had discovered our relationship but had not yet discovered our breakup. Or our separation. Or whatever it was really called.

The girls swarmed me in packs, all day long, without any shame or tact. There was nothing I could do but smile and nod, and hope to the heavens that it would all end up being a terrible dream.

But it wasn't.

"I'm sorry." Emma and Patrick constantly said, their eyes showing their sympathy for me.

"We're trying to keep everyone at bay." Emma assured me after lunch.

"We're trying to make sure they don't ask insensitive questions." Patrick promised as the bell for last period rang.

"Did we do alright? Did they leave you alone for the most part?" Emma asked as we drove home that afternoon.

I couldn't bear to have them think that their efforts had been for nothing, and I nodded enthusiastically.

"They were wonderful. Thanks, guys." I said, "I really appreciate it."

"Good." Emma smiled. "Now, the real question: are you going to the neighborhood block party tomorrow night?"

I shook my head.

"No way. You both know who's going to be there."

"Yeah, but you never know! Maybe he won't show up." Patrick said, "The party would absolutely suck if you don't go, Liv."

"Patrick's right." Emma added, "Even though it makes me sick to say those words. You have to come, everyone's going to be expecting you there."

I shook my head again.

"I really don't think so, guys. It just doesn't seem like something that would be a good idea for me right now."

Patrick and Emma glanced at each other, defeated.

"Alright." Emma spoke, "But please consider it, at least."

I looked at their faces, the faces of my best friends who had been trying their hardest to make my day as painless as possible. They didn't deserve to be treated horribly by me simply because I was having a rough few weeks.

"I'll consider it." I said.

"Good!" Emma exclaimed as she pulled up to my driveway, "Now go get some sleep. You need it after this day."

I thanked her and climbed out of the car, heading towards my house without giving Lincoln's so much as a glance. But I could tell he was there, as he had been that morning, watching, respecting, caring. He was there and he was waiting. But what he was waiting for, I had no idea; there was nothing that he could do or say at this point to make me go back.

I made it up to my bedroom and laid down on the bed, attempting to take a nap and catch up on some of the sleep I had undoubtedly missed from the night before.

Just as I was getting comfortable on my bed and starting to close my eyes, there was a knock on my bedroom door.

"Come in." I called groggily.

"Hey, Liv." My sister entered the room, "It's Sophia. Can we talk for a second?"

A/N: The end of the book is approaching! Thank you guys so much for all your support on it and for encouraging me to update, because without you guys I might not have! I hope that the ending (about four chapters away) is good for you guys, and I hope that everything works out the way you want it to!

What do you think Sophia is going to talk to Olivia about?

Remember to follow @kpwattpad on Instagram! I'm also considering making a Facebook page for my books, but I'm not sure if I should. Thoughts?

-Katherine