I don’t ask him because I don’t want him to remember. Some things should be left buried.
“She said she made Rose leave in order to protect her.” For some reason, it makes sense. Because if she hadn’t left, her dad would’ve attacked her next.
What she did was wrong, but it kept Hope safe.
“From her dad?” he asks.
I give him a side eye.Who else?
He scowls. “What I’m trying to say is, she couldn’t have done anything to protect Hope and realized that it’s better if she just left?” He pauses. “That sounds fucked up. So as long as her dad lives in that house, she’s not safe. Not even if her mother is there. She can’t do anything to protect her. So where is Hope supposed to live then? It’s her home.”
“She can stay at my place.” I suggest.
“Not for long. Your parents already know what happened. They asked you to drop her at her place.”
“Well they can fuck right off.”
He sighs. “We need to think — ”
“There’s no thinking. Sheisn’tgoing back.”
“Heath — ”
“No, Bash. You have to understand — ”
A streak of anger contorts his face. “And I do, but is she sixteen. Her parents can cause big problems for you if you don’t think with your head before your heart.”
My chest swells from the impact of his words.
The classroom quietens as the teacher enters. Sebastian turns around in his seat without another word. But I know he’s got a lot more to say.
I just can’t bear to hear it.
Because deep down, I know he’s right.
36
HOPE
The school has endedand I’m near the lockers to put away my textbooks. There’s no way I can take them with me. They won’t fit in my bag and I don’t want to clutter Heath’s space.
“Give me those,” he demands, as he walks beside me.
Before I can reply, he takes the heavy, thick textbooks from me and holds them as if they weigh nothing. They probably don’t, when he has those huge, defined muscles that carry more weight than these.
“You don’t need to,” I tell him.
He doesn’t spare me a glance. “I need to because you’re my girlfriend.”
The butterflies dance in my stomach.
No matter how many times he says that word I feel the same giddiness every single time.
I’m someone’s girlfriend.
I have a boyfriend. A handsome, sweet, grumpy guy who loves me.
Feels like I’m in a romance novel and living the life of a main character.
