Free 90 Days (Prairie Town Book 2) by T.E. Ridener

only issue was, she didn’t need to smoke a joint to have him on her mind.
         She thought about him a lot.
         And she knew she was crazy for doing that.  He could never possibly want someone as damaged and unstable as her.
         But he smiled at me tonight.  A lot.
         Surely that meant something? He’d always been so kind to her.  They always gazed at one another for one second longer than intended, and when he hugged her, he lingered there for a little longer than usual.
         It did mean something, didn’t it?
         I’m fooling myself.  I don’t even deserve someone like Benji.
         Muttering to herself in frustration, Laney stood from her bed and dragged her feet across the floor until she got to the drawer.  At least she could have a few hours of silence and a much needed opportunity to rest.
         Tomorrow will be a better day, she decided.  Clean slate, fresh start.
         Hopefully all of the bad feelings would be gone by then and she could go back to normal.  She needed to get her act together, especially now that Benji and Aggie were around, but more so because of her sister.
         The last thing she wanted was for Lydia to see the part of her she tried so hard to hide.  Telling her the truth was one thing, but letting her witness that side of her personality?  No.  Absolutely not.
         A light knock on her door sounded like a gun going off, at least in Laney’s mind, and she quickly whirled around to stare at it as if it was a foreign object.
         Maybe her plan for everyone to be distracted with Jeb wasn’t going to work after all.
          “Yes?”
         “Laney?”
         It was Benji.
         Oh, God.  It was Benji.
         “Um…yes?” She tiptoed towards the door and carefully leaned against it, biting her lip.
         “Hey.  Uh, you disappeared from the table.  Everything okay?”
         Lie , her mind pleaded. 
         “Yeah, just not feeling too hot.  I was thinking of taking a nap.”
         “Oh.”
         Was he disappointed?  He sounded disappointed.
         Maybe he really does want to see me.
         “Ags and I are going to crash in the living room tonight.  I just thought I’d let you know so you didn’t freak out after the lights go out.”
         Freak out?   Her heart did a backflip as she imagined bumping into him in the hallway in the dark, how it would feel as his hand brushed against hers…
         “That’s fine.” Her voice cracked and she quickly regained her composure.  Calm and steady.  Cool and smooth.  Not too desperate.  “I promise not to trip over you or anything.”
         He laughed that adorable laugh and she couldn’t help but smile.  She wanted nothing more than to open the door and hug him. 
         She wanted to feel his arms around her. 
         She wanted to feel safe.
         But she couldn’t.  Her mind wasn’t strong enough for it.
         Maybe it never would be.
         “Well, okay then.  Goodnight, Laney. Feel better.”
         “Thanks, Benji.  Night.” Her fingers traced over the smooth surface of the door and she closed her eyes, listening to his retreating footsteps as laughter sounded from the kitchen.
         I’m sorry, Benji.  You don’t want to deal with a mess like me.  
         It was with that thought that she collapsed against her bed and cried herself to sleep.
     
    Chapter 5
     
    Lydia
     
         It had been a month since her sister’s confession about her past and there were no signs of improvement.  Laney was still acting strange, even though she tried to hide it, and Lydia was becoming increasingly worried about her.
         It was distracting her from the wedding plans she knew she needed to get organized, but what else was she supposed to do?  Her sister wasn’t something she could put on hold until after saying ‘I do’.  Laney needed her and Lydia wanted to