#Chapter 56: Served

Kayla The silence between Noah and me in the wake of Nicholas’s sudden exit felt heavy and awkward. I stared down at the peeling label of my beer bottle, unsure of what to say. The edges of the label were already frayed from where my nails had been picking at it earlier, and I didn’t even try to stop myself from tearing off another strip. My mind was elsewhere—it was in the direction Nicholas had gone, trailing after Rebecca like a moth to a flame. I twisted the bottle in my hand, aggressively tearing off another piece of the label. My chest felt tight, although I couldn’t quite tell if it was directed at Nicholas or myself. Why did he have to go after her like that? What possible reason could he have? Was she crying? Complaining? Playing the victim to his knight in shining armor? And most importantly, why did it bother me so much? The thought made my stomach churn uncomfortably, and I ripped another piece of the label free, crumpling it between my