CHAPTER NINETY – A FRIEND IN NEED

As they sat there in what was now a tense silence, at least for Laura, she found herself reexamining every interaction she'd had with Tina since arriving in Miami. The way Tina had immediately befriended her, how she always seemed to be around when something significant happened at the diner - had it all been calculated? The peaceful night suddenly felt oppressive. The gentle lapping of the waves, which had been soothing just moments ago, now seemed to mock her with their constancy. How could the world continue on as if nothing had changed, when Laura's entire reality had just been upended? "We should probably head back," Laura said abruptly, standing up. "It's getting late." Tina looked surprised at the sudden change but nodded. "Sure, if you're ready. Everything okay?" "Fine," Laura said, wincing internally at how curt she sounded. "Just tired, I guess." As they made their way back along the beach, the easy camaraderie of earlier was gone. Laura found herself hyper-aware of Tina