Jade snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her friend. Pursing her lips slightly, she sighed, "Fine. Nigel texted me to let me know you were here."
"Before you lash out at him," Jade added, raising her hands defensively before Ali could say a word, "know that he was only worried. He wanted someone to know your whereabouts, just in case… you know?"
To Jade's surprise, Ali just let out a soft chuckle. "Relax, I won't say anything to him. He actually did the right thing."
She let out a tired sigh, pushing her now-dry blonde locks back from her face. "I'm glad you're here, J. Believe me, I thought I was going insane keeping all of this bottled up."
She paused, searching her friend's face. "You don't think I'm crazy, right?"
A rare, raw vulnerability surfaced in her eyes as she asked.
Jade shook her head without hesitation. "Of course not. You know I'll always believe you, Ali… no matter how unbelievable it sounds."
"Really?" Ali asked hopefully.
