Chapter 27

After walking away from the Fletcher residence, it took Laurelle a while to calm herself down. When she'd been a teenager, she'd returned here full of hope. Now, every extra second spent here felt revolting. But it was fine—she couldn't let herself be haunted by the past. She flagged down a cab, and about 40 minutes later, she arrived outside an apartment complex in the heart of the city. The neighborhood was ideal: convenient, lively, but peaceful. The building itself wasn't new—probably around ten years old—yet the area was well-maintained with good security. After paying the fare, she stepped into the complex. Just as she got into the elevator, her phone rang. It was Alexis. She quickly picked up. "Hey, sweetie, I nearly forgot—you're getting discharged today, right?" There was a lot of background noise on Alexis' end; she was probably calling in between scenes. "If you're not comfortable going back to your parents', head to my place. I'll send you the address and door code…