Chapter 8
Emma looked across the small coffee table in her office. Stella was slouched into the corner of the couch, furiously twirling her hair around her index finger. Waves of hurt pulsed from Stella, and it was painful to sit with it.
“I hate recital practice,” Stella said, her eyes trained on the wall.
Emma waited quietly. Stella had been here several minutes and aside from choking out a hello, this was the first sentence she’d spoken.
After a few more quiet moments, Stella switched from twirling her hair to chewing her nails. “So I was hoping this recital thing would be fun. And the music part is fun. But one of the jerks who’s friends with asshole of the year is in the recital too. Mrs. Cooper didn’t tell me he’d be there.”
“Okay, just so I keep things straight. If I recall, as
