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Conner frowns, and dread snakes through me. “What are you talking about? I texted... you said—“
Reality crashes down around me.
No.
It can’t be—
“Kenny?” Conner’s hands grip my shoulders as he dips his head to look me in the eyes. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“You texted me?” My body begins to tremble.
“Of course I did. You were my best friend and I was in a brand new place, starting a brand new school.” A sheepish expression washes over him. “I needed you. I won’t lie, it fucking stung a lot when you to
ld me not to text anymore.”
I jerk back as if he’s slapped me. “Conner, I didn’t—"
“It doesn’t matter,” he grinds out. “We should go.”
He takes off toward his car...
And this time, I let him go.
We don’t speak on the ride back to the dorms. Conner is sulking, and I’m... I don’t even know what I am anymore.
When he reaches the campus boundary, I say, “Stop here.”
“No way, K, I can drive you to—"
“I said stop here.”
Letting out a hiss of disapproval, he cuts the engine. “Look, I—"
“Thanks for today,” I cut him off. “It was fun, just like old times.” The words are like shards of glass in my throat. “But maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
“This?” he balks.
“Yeah, you and me hanging out, pretending everything is fine when we both know it’s not.”
“Kenny—"
“Goodbye, Conner.” I grip the door handle. “I guess I’ll see you around.” Shouldering the door, I hurry from the car. I feel his eyes follow me, but I don’t look back. I can’t.
Today was a mistake.
For a second, I’d believed that maybe things could go back to how they were. But it was a lie. A stupid, foolish lie I’d tried to tell myself.
Just like all of this is a lie.
I don’t belong at Sterling Prep. It isn’t the answer to all my prayers.
It’s a temporary fix.
A Band-Aid.
Warren is quiet now, but he’ll come for me.
You don’t just walk away from someone like Warren Kraven. This is probably all part of his sick plan to break me even more than he already has.
