AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His grin morphs into a full-blown smile. “Busted.”
“Who’s the girl?”
“Just a friend.”
A friend. I’m not dumb. I know damn well what the word “friend”means in a jock’s vocabulary.
“Let me guess, Brie?” I try to cover up the disappointment in my voice with a cackle so fake it makes my skin crawl. “You two back together?”
“Fuck no.” He cringes.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
Be more obvious, Vee, seriously.
“Who, then? Anyone I know?”
He scoffs. “A bit ironic talking about girls with you, don’t you think?”
I’m not sure if it’s just my sleep deprived brain gradually shutting off or if I’m missing something here, but I can’t seem to decipher the innuendos plaguing his words.
“How is that ironic?”
“Oh, come on, Vee.” He arches an eyebrow, shooting me an unconvinced look. “You know.”
“Know what?” I ask.
“You going to make me say it? Really? Not cool, Harper.” He throws his head back, a sexy, lazy smirk plastered to his lips, and that sight alone is enough to melt my insides.
“I’m too tired for this shit. Just tell me already.”
“I liked you, Vee.”
My airways nearly close up.
“As a kid, I had the biggest fucking crush on you.”
I expected everything,
Everything but this.
“Very funny.” I let the joke roll right off my back.
“Not trying to be.” He looks me dead in the eyes.
Holy crap… he’s serious.
“Excuse me?” I screech.
“I said what I said.”
“But you were so mean!” I rack my brain, fishing for one memory, just one moment where Xavier seemed even remotely interested in me. Well, he did kiss me that day at the park, but I always assumed he was just that desperate to keep me from ratting him out.
“And you’re surprised why? I was a little shit to everybody.”
“Yeah, but you were extra shitty to me!”
He holds his hands up in surrender. “In my defense, I had no clue how to act around girls, and the only time my parents ever communicated back then was when they were saying hurtful shit to each other. I guess, I thought… that’s how it worked, or something?”
