We lie like that for a while, neither of us speaking. And it feels good. Indigo is the only person I can bare silence with.

“Olivia was right,” I admit.

“About what?” Indigo yawns, her voice cracking.

“About me loving you.”

She laughs, covering her face with her hand.

“What?”

“I had to search on Google to see if I love you or not,” Indigo says, and I chuckle.

“And?”

“And what?” she groans.

“Have you got your answer?”

“Yup.” I raise my eyebrow in question, and she suddenly sobers. “I love you,” she declares.

Warmth spreads through me as I catch the tip of her nose between my fingers.

“And I love you, Indigo Hayes.”

CHAPTER FORTY SIX

INDIGO

“I wish you were here,” Lorelai whispers. She kneels in front of the gravestone, raises two fingers to her lips, and puts them to Olivia’s picture.

Olivia’s death changed her a lot. It’s been three months since the funeral now, and she’s not as happy as she once was. She still smiles, of course, but when she does, her eyes tell a different story.

I know how much it pains Elias to see her like this. His father seems to feel better, though. Whatever his letter said, it made him see things differently. He’s not the same as he used to be, but he’s trying.

We went to the police a little after Elias came back. Turns out that a couple of other girls had come forward about assaults. That was enough to arrest the school counsellor. He’ll spend a long time behind bars, especially as his own daughter will testify at his trial.

None of us are the same, but the months have given us time to grieve and find other things to focus on. Elias has settled into his new job — we barely saw each other for the first month — while I’m planning on opening an online store for my paintings.

Tom started to take darts seriously. He’s been invited to a local championship with his teammate. They’re rocking it, and I’m sure they’ll be stars in no time.

His mom has drowned herself in books, reading one a day. Elias told me he saw her writing in a notebook and I hope she’s found a way to express herself. Confessing your thoughts is a great way to heal.

We’re not healed, but we’re no longer on the bad side of the road, either. All of us took her absence as a motivator to work on ourselves. We think about her when we celebrate, when we fail, and when we get up and start all over again.

“You did an amazing job, Indigo,” Lorelai says, getting up from Olivia’s grave. She pats my shoulder, looking at me as if I’m an angel.