“Okay, suit yourself.”
>> <<
Connell’s house was already full of people. Maybe it was just me, maybe I was paranoid, but when Tiffany and I walked through the doorway, I felt all eyes on us. It was definitely normal for a girl as popular and beautiful as her, who was used to getting all the attention, but not me. Everyone thought of me as a tomboy who wore extra-large T-shirts and Daisy Duke shorts.
And obviously, if Tiffany knew everyone there, I felt awkward in the middle of all these people I’d never seen. Tiffany started talking with a group of people while I looked around, until my gaze fell on William through the glass windows leading to the backyard. He was sitting alone in a corner with his head bowed. I couldn’t decipher his expression, but his posture was more than enough to pique my curiosity.
“I’m going out for a second,” I whispered to Tiffany.
“Will.”
“Hey,” I heard him mumble without looking up.
I saw his wheat-colored hair sparkle while his white T-shirt shone in the darkness, giving him the look of an angel trapped in a dark corner of heaven. He was holding a beer bottle between his hands.
“Why are you all alone?” I pointed at a group of noisy guys, among whom I recognized Jackson’s blond head immediately.
“The usual. Pool parties. I should’ve stayed home,” he complained.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded without looking at me.
“Will, did something happen?”
My tone of voice suddenly got gloomy, and he only seemed to notice me in that moment. He looked up focusing his empty eyes on mine.
“No. What happened is that I’m a piece of shit.”
I felt my forehead wrinkle. “What do you mean?”
And suddenly, I freaked out. The thought of that something happening between him and James made my stomach turn.
“Forget it.”
I saw him vaping nervously, taking too little of a break between one hit and the next.
“No, come on, I wanna know now,” I tried to convince him, sitting down next to him on the wall.
“I’m sorry for being an asshole to the wrong girl.”
I let out a small sigh of relief. Was it just that?
“I shouldn’t have treated you like that, June,” he explained, his fingers stroking his lower lip.
Maybe he’d talked with James?
“I started by chasing you out of my house in front of everyone without giving you any explanation.”
“That’s water under the bridge.” I rushed to downplay what had happened.
“Then I left you during the races, putting you in danger. I used you as bait with the Austins . . .”
“Yeah, but I wanted help you. I’m responsible for my own actions, Will.”
“I shouldn’t have made out with Ari and other stuff you don’t know about.”
Will had certainly been busy ruining what could’ve been between us, but then I wasn’t sure it would’ve gone full steam ahead even if Will behaved perfectly toward me. After all, I hadn’t been completely honest with him. I hid the phone call from him and the photos I exchanged with James.
