Kylen hands in the assignment to Mr. Lewis, who seems impressed because we’re the first ones. As he reads over our short summary, he sways his head from side to side. What’s that supposed to mean? Was choosing Shakespeare too cliché?
Kylen doesn’t return to the seat across from me. He walks past my desk and drops down in his desk in the back. I don’t know why the air suddenly feels cold. It was almost like being near him warmed it or something.
Nowthatsounds ridiculous even in my head.
Even though I know I shouldn’t, I turn my head toward the back of the room. Kylen is scrolling on his phone, a neutral expression on his face. As if he feels me watching him, he lifts his gaze to me.
I quickly twist away and get started on my math homework.
Chapter Nine
Raven
“Life definitely has a sense of humor,” Addie says when my friends and I meet at my locker after school. “Having to partner up with the guy you swore to avoid? It’s almost like…”
I raise a brow at her. “Almost like what?”
“Nothing,” she quickly says, but I know her well. She thinks that my having to spend time alone with Kylen might be a sign or something. She’s still holding onto the hope that he and I are written in the stars.
“Or maybe we’re just stuck together because no one else wanted to partner up with either of us,” I say dryly.
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” she says.
“Me, either,” Sophie says.
“I know he hurt you,” Carly says. “But maybe this is a step forward in mending your relationship with him. And when I mean relationship, I don’t mean aromanticrelationship. I mean like a friendship. I know you don’t want to be his friend, but there’s always a chance you guys can put the past behind you.” She shrugs. “I’m just trying to be positive here.”
I open my locker and dump the stuff I don’t need inside. “I just want to get the project over with and never talk to him again. Even though Mr. Lewis gave us a month to complete it, I’m hoping Kylen and I could finish it in a week.”
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Carly suggests. “I held a grudge against Ryder for years because I thought he was a jerk. But I saw the amazing person that he was. I learned to forgive him. And look at us now? We’re in love.”
Shutting my locker, I release a sigh. “I’m glad things worked out for you guys, but Kylen and I are not you and Ryder. Why areyou guys still trying to push us together? You told me that you support my decision to cut him out of my life.”
“We do,” Addie quickly says. “But now that youarebeing forced to work with him, things might change. Look, all we’re saying is to be positive and make the best of the situation. Who knows what might happen?”
“Of course I won’t be rude to him. Well, at least not on purpose. But I won’t lie and say I’ll ever be completely comfortable around him. My walls shoot up the minute he walks into the same room as me.”
“That’s understandable,” Sophie says as she rubs my arm. “You should feel however you want to feel. Just remember that sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you expect. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on something that could be great just because you’ve closed off your heart.”
I zip up my backpack and throw it over my shoulder. “Thanks for the advice, guys. But life won’t throw me any surprises. I know exactly how this will end. I’ll see you guys later. We’re still on for our movie marathon tonight, right? I chose the perfect fantasy.”
“Of course!” Carly says. “Ryder’s so excited to share one of his favorite movies with us. Fair warning, I think there are a lot of exploding cars.”
“I’m cool with that,” I say. “Variety is good.”
I wave goodbye before leaving the building and making my way to the library. It’s freezing outside and there is still leftover snow all over the ground. I’m used to cold weather because I’m from Boston, but today is pure bitter cold.
I race to the library and burst inside, rubbing my hands together to warm them up. It’s pretty empty in here, since most kids only step foot in here for assignments. Even Sophie, our resident bookworm, gave up on this place because they never order newly released books. She prefers to go to the bookstore.
A guy standing by one of the shelves catches my attention. He wears a puffy black coat over the school uniform. I know who he is just by seeing his back, even though I’ve never seen the coat before. It’s Kylen.
I’m surprised he’s already here. I guess I assumed he would try to avoid coming here until the last minute. Okay, maybe I was hoping he would come late so I would have time to do the research on my own before worrying about his close proximity. My brain doesn’t seem to work right whenever he stands too close to me. Heck, when he’s in the same room as me. I always feel that chill, as though my body is sending me a warning.
Well, there’s no point in avoiding the inevitable.
His head lifts from the book he’s reading when he hears me approach. I swear I can see a small smile on his lips, but it’s gone so fast I wonder if I imagined it. “Hey,” he says, his voice sounding a little nervous. And wary. Like he’s not sure how to act around me.
Ditto, dude.
