Devious Little Liar ↛ PLL [1]

~ forty-eight

( chapter forty-eight;
it meAns nothing )

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"IS JENNA HOME?" MADISON asked Toby as she walked through the kitchen of the Cavanaugh house. She scanned her surroundings. The entirety of the house was old fashioned, just like it had been when she last saw it.

Toby shook his head, "No, she's at a hospital appointment."

Madison curiously raised her eyebrow as they entered his bedroom, "Aren't you usually the one that takes her everywhere?"

Toby turned and met her gaze as she took a seat on the edge of his bed, "I told her I was attending Ian's funeral so she arranged for a nurse to come pick her up."

Madison didn't really think much of it and instead looked around Toby's room with a small, yet sad smile, "It's been a while since I've been in here."

He exhaled as he sat beside her, "Feels like forever."

"And yet," She glanced to him, "it feels like we never stopped talking."

Toby met her gaze, "How are you feeling after the funeral?"

"Do you mean burying Ian or Melissa trying to knock me out?" Madison asked him with slight humor to protect herself from crying.

"Melissa." He responded, "I know you said not to talk about it, but she hit you, Madi. What the hell happened?"

"It was her husbands funeral." Madison stated, "She was just upset. Guess she had to take it out on someone, right?"

It fell silent between the two as Madison continued to look around the room while Toby stared at his hands. His head perked and he looked back to Madison, "This was all Alison fault. Everything. None of this would've happened if it weren't for her."

"Maybe." Madison responded, "But I can't help but feel guilty."

"Why?" Toby questioned.

Madison took in a breath, slightly turning her body to Toby, "I've done some terrible things. Big and small. Not to mention, I was a bully, and all to satifisy a manipulative, little blonde girl. I hate myself."

"You shouldn't." Toby quickly responded, "Like you said, Alison manipulated you. You and your friends. She pressured you into this. It was her. She took you from me, she blinded Jenna, she did terrible things, sadly you were collateral damage."