Hope: What’s in my bag?
Heath: See for yourself.
I rushto my bag and open it. I don’t see anything new there. Just to be sure, I move my notebooks and folders. It’s at the end of them, tucked under my pencil case that I find a book. I take it out and read the title.
Love in Hate. It’s the latest and the last book in the series. I’ve read the first three: love in steps, love in chords, love in notes and truly loved them. I can’t believe he bought it this soon. It released this weekend.
I open the first page and see that it’s a signed copy with my name. I’ve never had a personalized signed copy before.Never.Ever.
Hope:You didn’t have to.
Heath: I wanted to.
A smile curveson my lips and a rush of happiness flows through me.
Hope:Thank you so much.
Heath: You’re welcome.
I set asidemy phone when another message pops up on the screen.
Heath:Text me as you read the book.
My fingersstill on the keyboard. How can I stop myself back from falling in love with a guy like him? He’s making it too hard.I can’t hold myself back. Every little thing that he does makes my feelings for him stronger.
I put away my phone instead of sending him a text. I don’t know what to say to him.
Grabbing the book, I sit on the bed and start reading it while eating the pasta that I made. I grin at how good it tastes and paired with one of my most anticipated reads it tastes even more delicious.
The sun sets, painting the sky in beautiful shades of orange, pink and yellow. Shadows dance on the walls in the canvas of the golden light. The chirping of the birds comes from the tree nearby that is in Nadina’s backyard. I glance over and see a meticulously nest made of sticks where a sparrow family is sitting together.
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be fine.
11
HEATH
It’slate at night when I arrive home. I let out some stream at the underground and fought two matches. The entire time I was imagining my opponents as Alex Hanson, and I might have gone a little overboard with the punches but I couldn’t stop myself. I got hurt, too. It’s just bruises, they’ll heal.
I step into the foyer and find the lights on. It’s the first time Derek is sleeping otherwise he’s usually lurking around in the dark corners of the house. He rarely catches me sneaking out and the times he tails me I know how to shake him off.
I walk down the foyer into the hallway when the notes of soft conversation draw my attention. They are coming from the living room.
Curiosity gets the best of me and I enter the room only to find my parents. Dad is standing next to an anxious sitting Mom who’s fidgeting with her hands. He’s holding a teacup that’s steaming with hot liquid as he stares down at her.
“Drink it, Mia,” Dad says softly.
I find it ridiculous that Dad who is six-feet-two-inches is holding a flowery china teacup with saucer that looks so small and breakable in his hands.
“But he is not home yet,” Mom croaks out. “What if something has happened to him?” Panic rings in her voice.
Dad opens his mouth to say something but I interrupt. “You don’t need to wait up for me.”
Mom’s head whips towards me and she stands up. Coming towards me, she looks me up and down as if searching my body for injuries. “Heath?—”
“I’m fine and you need to sleep.” No matter how many times I think about saying something cruel to her, seeing her like this breaks my resolve.
Her eyes have sunk into the sockets and her face is sharp and bony. Also, her body looks so weak.
