Chapter 8 - Jo Thompson

Jo POV

Waking up in my childhood room feels different, normal, and good. I roll to the side, looking out of the window, and I smile. I remember the boy that used to live across the road, and his name was Mark. He never liked me, always teasing me and making sure I never had fun when he was around. My mom used to say he was treating me like that because he had a crush on me. That’s so wrong to think that a boy mistreated a girl because he liked her.

I roll on my back, resting both my hands on my stomach, and I close my eyes feeling the tears burning. Memories from my past come crashing, and I try to avoid them, but it’s been far too long, and they need to resurface. I had a boyfriend in high school. I thought he was it for me. So stupid. I had no clue what love was, and looking back, neither did he.

**Memories**

“Layla, I need you to do me a favor,” I tell my best friend, and she closes her book looking at me. She raises an eyebrow, and I take a deep breath looking both ways. The