I throw the covers off and march up to him. He towers over me, but I jab a finger hard into his chest, meeting his glare with one of my own.
“Let’s get something straight.Youkissedmethat night.Youpulled away. I followed your lead, even when it hurt. I gave you space. I respected your silence. And I could’ve gotten over all of that… Iwasgetting over it. But the worst thing you did wasn’t treating me like a mistake…”
My voice wavers, but I push through.
“It was throwing me away. Making me trust you, rely on you, only to vanish when I needed you most. You weren’t there in Darren’s aftermath. So don’t youdarewalk in here like you have any right to be angry.”
I swipe at the tears streaking down my face. Damn it. I hate crying when I’m mad.
Johnny takes a step back, jaw tight. His voice is low now. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not ready to hear it,” I say, voice hoarse. “Get out.”
“Lina—”
“Get. Out.”
He hesitates, guilt etched into every line of his face. Then he turns and walks out, shutting the door behind him with quiet finality.
I almost feel bad.Almost.
A moment later, I hear my bathroom door creak open. Axel slips through from his side of the shared space, the scent of his body wash curling around me before his arms do.
“You okay?” he murmurs, pulling me close.
“No,” I sniffle into his shoulder. “How much did you hear?”
“Just the part where you got a little loud.” He says it gently.
“He makes me so damn mad.”
“I can tell.” He pauses, then adds, “So, you and Johnny kissed, huh?”
Crap. Guess that’s out.
I pull back, wiping at my cheeks. “Yeah. Halloween.”
Axel whistles low. “Ah.Everything makes sense now. Iknewsomething happened! You saucy little minx. You blow into this house, stealing hearts left and right. Look at you!”
He ruffles my hair like a coach proud of their star player while I turn crimson.
“Come on,” he says, brightening. “Let’s wake up Nik and go get breakfast. Then maybe we can make out by the pool some more andreallysend Johnny over the edge.”
“In your dreams.” I shove him playfully, but the grin tugging at my mouth says it all.
Chapter 31
There are officially three weeks left of school, and it’s go-time.
By the end of the week, I have a paper due for AP Lit and a presentation for AP World History. Finals start next week. I’m halfway through my Calculus study guide and have a couple of flagged practice tests queued up on my computer for the weekend. My Lit and World History study guides will have to wait until I get these other assignments off my plate.
Thankfully, we’ve been working on our final project for Art in class, and I should be able to finish it without needing to do anything extra.
I’m so close to the finish line I can practically taste it. The only thing keeping me remotely sane is knowing I have a full semester off starting in January to recover, regroup, and figure out what’s next.
When Axel and I pull into the driveway after school, we notice Ben’s car is already there. It’s unusual for him to beat us home, but I don’t think much of it.
Inside, we find him at the kitchen counter, looking polished in his usual suit and tie, seated on one of the stools with a folder and a cup of coffee in front of him.
