Not Liz, but the way my eyes refused to stop tracking Maya, even as I crossed the hallway.The way my chest tightened when I caught Reece’s expression.A part of me wanted to stay and watch, to see if he brushed Maya off or let her lead him somewhere out of sight.
But Liz needed me, and I couldn’t be the girl who let her own heartbreak come before someone else’s pain.
So I walked with her into that crappy school bathroom with the flickering light, the cracked mirror, and the paper towels that always runs out too quickly.
I locked us inside the last stall while she fell apart in front of me.I wiped her mascara-streaked cheeks with my hoodie sleeve and told her she’d be okay.I nodded through the ache in my throat because that’s what friends do.We bleed quietly.We break in silence so the other doesn’t have to.
But the whole time, my mind wasn’t in that stall.It was still out there.Trapped in that hallway.Stuck in the moment he smiled at another girl.Wondering if he’d go with her.Wishing he hadn’t.Hurting at the thought that he did.
Lola and Aubrey arrived shortly after I texted them.
By then, Liz had splashed cold water on her face, dabbed it dry with a paper towel that fell apart in her hand, and tried, bless her, to smile through the pain.She wasn’t fooling any of us, not with her red-rimmed eyes and blotchy cheeks.
So when Lola and Aubrey wrapped their arms around her shoulders, something settled.
We didn’t bother attending class.
The four of us bailed, piling into my car with the windows down, music low, and drove across town to that tiny ice cream place Lola swears has magic in every scoop.
Liz ordered bubblegum-flavored ice cream and made a face after the first taste.Aubrey took a bite anyway, insisting it was gourmet.
Lola got chocolate with sprinkles and shared her cone with Liz, aiming to make her laugh.
I got strawberry and only realized the cup was empty when my spoon hit the bottom.
We sat under the fairy lights strung above the outdoor tables, letting the sugar do its job.
Liz didn’t cry again.Not in front of us, anyway.But now and then, I’d catch her staring into the distance, eyes glassy, tongue worrying her bottom lip like she was trying to keep something in.
None of us spoke the words we were all thinking.
Sometimes life just fucking sucks.
The party is already feral when we show up.Bass shakes the floor, lights strobe hard enough to screw with your own heartbeat.Heat and hormones clog the air.Every couch has a couple draped across it, half-naked and not even trying to be subtle.
Jace notices us the second we walk in.He pushes off the wall, swagger in every step, plastic cup in hand, and that grin—the one that could make saints sin and good girls question their morals.
“Shots,” he says, loud enough to cut through the music.“Come on, Bells,” he turns his attention to Lola.“You’re the only girl here who hasn’t tried to fuck me yet.That clearly means you haven’t lived.”
Lola crosses her arms and stares him right in the eyes.“It’s Bellamy, dickhead.My surname.Try using it correctly for once.I know that’s a tall order with your limited brain function.And maybe I don’t want to fuck you and catch whatever mix of herpes and bad decisions you’re walking around with.”
Jace smiles, clearly amused.
“Oh, and before you get all offended,” she adds sweetly, “I know plenty of girls you haven’t fucked yet.Most of them are smart enough to run in the opposite direction.”
Jace clutches his chest as if he’s been stabbed.“You wound me, Bells.Truly.It’s not easy being this goddamn desirable.”
“Shut up,” Lola says, a smirk tugging at her mouth—the kind she doesn’t bother hiding.
He puts an arm around her shoulders and grins as if this is the best part of his night.“You’re alright, Bells.Total menace, pain in the ass, serial ego bruiser...but still alright.”
She doesn’t shove him away.Instead, she rolls her eyes, grabs the plastic cup from his hand, and downs the shot like water.
“Keep dreaming, Jace,” she says, wiping her mouth and leveling her eyes at him.
His grin widens, all teeth and trouble.“Oh, I will.Trust me, Bells, I’ll dream about you tonight.”
I stand beside Aubrey, watching this unholy fever dream play out in real time.Jace Cooper, king of cocky grins and casual fucks, the guy who flirts as a goddamn sport and racks up girls faster than he remembers their names, has Lola tucked under his arm as if this is the most natural thing in the world.
