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DELANEY
My alarm goes off, pulling me from the only place I’m still able to be with Knox—my dreams. It’s pathetic, I know, to still want someone who broke my heart into so many tiny pieces. Honestly though, I blame myself more than I blame him. Everyone warned me what kind of guy he is and I didn’t listen. I brought this on myself.
Getting dressed and ready for school, I don’t even bother to do anything with my hair other than throwing it into a messy bun. Once I’m done, I go downstairs to the kitchen.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” Tessa greets me, being overly nice like she has been for the past week.
“It’s way too early for this,” I groan, but she doesn’t care.
She comes over and places a to-go cup on the counter in front of me. “I made you coffee.”
“Okay, this is why God gave me a twin. Thank you.”
“Glad I’m good for something,” she quips as the doorbell rings. “That’s Sav. Let’s go. You don’t want to be late.”
If it weren’t for Tess and Savannah, I probably would have ended up not going to school at all. No part of me was motivated to do anything except sit on my bed and try to make sense of where the hell we went wrong. Valedictorian would have been out the window, but at the time, I didn’t care.
What’s confused me the most is Knox’s absence from just about everything. Easton told Tessa that he hasn’t been at school since the Friday before the gala, and all Zayn’s heard from him was that he needed some time. No matter how much I wrack my brain, I can’t figure it out. He dumped me, and yet he’s acting like he has something to mourn the loss of.
The ride to school is filled with my sister and my best friend fawning over me like a broken child who needs put back together, when really, I’d rather they just leave me alone. Having to listen to them repeat the same thing Knox said when he ended us—it’s infuriating.
“Feel like having breakfast during first?” Sav questions as we walk around the school to meet Grayson and the rest of the guys.
I shake my head. “I’m not hungry.”
She sighs. “You haven’t been hungry for over a week. Are you at least eating something every day?”
Rolling my eyes, I’m about to answer her when a familiar car catches my eye. Only, it’s not the driver that has my stomach churning, it’s who’s in the passenger seat. As Stone goes to turn into the parking lot of NHH, Knox’s gaze meets mine, and I’m completely frozen. A part of me expects to see some remorse, maybe even a little pain, but there’s nothing. His eyes are as cold and empty as the arctic.
He looks away and down at his lap, and I’m right back to where I was a week ago.
“Delaney?” S
avannah presses the subject.
“Yes,” I snap. “Okay? Yes, I’ve been eating. Just get off my back already!”
Ignoring the shocked looks on my friends’ faces, I walk away and into the school. I shouldn’t be taking it out on her. I know she’s just trying to help. But what she and Tessa aren’t realizing is there is no way to help. Not with this.
I’M SITTING IN THE courtyard, despite the fact that it’s only March. Luckily, my sweatshirt is enough to keep me warm. The sound of the birds starting to chirp and the sun shining, it’s peaceful.
“This seat taken?” Grayson asks.
I give him a sad smile and he sits down next to me. “If you’re going to lecture me for yelling at Savannah, don’t bother. I already feel like an ass for it.”
He shakes his head. “Nah, I’m not worried about that. Even she knows how overbearing she can be sometimes.”
“She’s just trying to help.”
“Yeah, but it’s not really helping, is it?”
I bite my lip to try to hold back the tears, but it’s no use. Grayson wraps his arm around me and pulls me in close, comforting me as I break down for what must be the millionth time since last weekend. I don’t want to cry while at school, but I didn’t want Knox to break up with me either so it is what it is.
“You…”
“I swear to God, if you say I deserve better than him, I will punch you straight in the jugular.”
He chuckles. “I was going to say you are going to be okay, but I think I’ll just leave it at I’m here if you need me.”
