Page 24 - It Ends with Us

Chapter Two

Lucy—the roommat e who loves to he ar herself sing—i s rushi ng around the
living room, gatheri ng key s, sho es , a pair of sung lasses . I’m sea ted on
the couch, openi ng up sho eb oxes stuffed with some of my old thi ng s
from when I lived at ho me. I grabbed them when I was ho me for my

father’ s funera l thi s week .
“You work today?” Lucy asks.
“Nope. I ha ve berea vem ent lea ve unt il Mond ay.”
She stops in her tracks. “Mond ay?” She scoffs. “Lucky bitch. ”
“Yes , Lucy. I’m so lucky my father died .” I say it sarcastically, of

course, but I cring e when I realize it’s no t actually ver y sarcastic.
“You know what I mea n, ” she mutters . She grabs her purse as she
balanc es on one foot whi le sliding her sho e ont o the othe r. “I’m no t
coming ho me toni ght . Staying over at Alex ’s ho use. ” The door slams
behi nd her.
We ha ve a lot in common on the sur face, but bey ond wea ring the
same size clothes , bei ng the same age, and both ha ving four-let ter

na mes tha t start with an L and end with a Y, there’ s no t much el se
there tha t makes us more than just roommates . I’m okay with tha t,
tho ugh. Other tha n the inc es sant sing ing , she’s pret ty tolera ble. She’s
clea n and she’s gone a lot. Two of the most important qualities in a
roommate.
I’m pulling the lid off the top of one of the sho eb oxes when my

cel l pho ne ring s. I rea ch across the couch and grab it. When I see tha t
it’s my mother, I pres s my face int o the couch and fake-cry int o a
thro w pillow.
I bring the pho ne to my ea r. “Hel lo?”
There’ s three sec ond s of silenc e, and then—“H el lo, Lily.”
I sigh and sit back up on the couch. “Hey, Mom.” I’m rea lly
surprised she’s spea king to me. It’s onl y been one day sinc e the

funera l. Tha t’s 364 days sooner tha n I ex pec ted to hea r from her.