Those three wordshit me like arrows.
Then, the silence breaks, and the noise of the classroom rushes in, reminding me that I’m at school, not alone.
I type out a reply, but don’t send it. It sits in the drafts as I put my phone on silent and slip it into my bag.
I wait for the remorse to hit me, especially after knowing what Heath told me that night, but I can’t find it in me to be nice to her. I understand that she did it to protect me, but there are a million other ways to do that. Kicking me out and making me live somewhere else isn’t the answer.
The classes pass by, and soon it’s lunchtime. We head to a diner where Heath orders me a chocolate smoothie and Marie gets me fries. I start to realize that Marie and Heath have turned it into a competition to see who spoils me more. Sebastian grins as he watches them, and I end up eating everything they order to keep them happy.
By the time we return for the rest of our classes, my stomach aches. But my heart feels warm with gratitude for all the love in my life.
I wish it would never end.
42
HEATH
Instead of havingthe party in the living room, we organize it in my room to have privacy. Any interaction with my parents is to be avoided at all costs. I don’t want them to upset Rose and ruin her day. My mother might not say something rude, but I can’t trust my father.
Marie and Sebastian decorate my room while I drive around with my girlfriend to kill time.
“Why aren’t we going home?” she asks for the third time. I’m sensing she is picking up that we’re up to something.
Marie and Sebastian better hurry the fuck up.
“I have to buy a few things,” I lie.
“What things?”
“Protein powder.”
“Didn’t you buy it a few days ago?”
I sure as fuck did. “I spilled the entire bottle the other day.”
“What?” She sounds worried.
I nod as I pull up into the parking lot of the department store.
Hope hesitantly unbuckles her seatbelt. She doesn’t believe me.
I get out of the car and come around to open the door for her. She steps out and wraps her arms around herself and stares at me with those innocent eyes.
“What is going on? I feel like something is wrong.” Panic rings in her voice.
I grab her hand. “Nothing is wrong, I promise.”
“But I have this strange feeling that something bad is going to happen.”
I frown, seeing her troubled eyes and trembling bottom lip.
“Nothing is going to happen, Rose.” I study her closely.
She stares at me for a long moment then nods.
Taking her hand, I let us in.
Hope is on edge the entire time and I try to calm her down but the wheels in her head keep rolling. I know something is bothering her but even she can’t figure out what it is.
