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Chapter Thirty-five
Elena
Lockwaswaitingoutsidemy house on Wednesday when I left for class. I walked by him quickly, ignoring him, but he easily fell into step with me.
“Good morning. You look beautiful, Ellie.”
I gave him a sidelong glance, keeping my face implacable while worms filled my insides. I wanted to tell him to take his compliment and go straight to hell, but it was easier not saying anything at all.
“How’s your mom?”
“Better. My dad’s taking her for inpatient treatment today to get her meds under control. What she was taking before wasn’t working.”
Okay, now leave me alone. Go away!
“How long will she stay?”
Ugh.
“Probably two weeks, if it’s anything like the past. It’s a nice place, she likes it, so I know she’ll be fine. I’m not worried.”
He was looking at me. I could feel it, heavy and light all at once.
“You can be, you know. You can give it to me. I’ll carry it for you.”
I rolled my eyes at that. “That’s nice. I don’t believe you.”
“I know that. I’ve given you every reason not to, but I won’t again.”
He didn’t sound frustrated or defeated, simply matter of fact. It drove me nuts. Every steady, unshakable part of this man made me want to scream. Because I needed him. I needed someone who would be an unmovable boulder when I was a landslide. And he couldn’t be that for me. Not now.
“What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you that you being near meall the timeis the worst kind of torture? Do you want me to lay out how pissed off I am that you were even capable of dumping me? Should I tell you I feel like the worst person in the world for being relieved my mother is going to be locked up so I don’t have to worry about her for two solid weeks? Or how about that I wish shewasn’tgoing to be hospitalized so I could spend my time worrying about her instead of being heartbroken over you? Which part are you going to carry?”
He brushed my hair behind my neck and leaned down, his lips skating over my ear. “All of it. I’ll carry it all. And I’ll keep the heartbreak. It’s not yours anymore, and you’re never going to get it back.”
The urge to lean into him and let his words trickle through my blood like the sweetest poison was strong, but I couldn’t do it. Not after the way he’d broken me out of nowhere.
“Pretty words. I don’t believe them.” I marched on toward my first class, and Lock stayed beside me the whole way.
He was there to escort me to my next class as well, apparently skipping his own. And while I was in my classes, he sent me more pictures. This time, he was hitting me hard with pictures of the spa and the ruggedly beautiful gardens.
As I slung my bag over my shoulder, my phone alerted me to yet another text. This time, instead of a picture, Lock had sent me an address. As soon as I spotted him lurking in the hall, I held up my phone.
“What is this?”
His mouth curved. “Now you know my secret. You could expose it, maybe post it on Twitter, or you can keep it between us. I’m trusting you to make the right decision.”
“Don’t give me riddles, Lock.” Pushing past him, I headed in the direction of New Ventures.
“It’s not a riddle. That’s the address to the burger place I told you I discovered. I’m not going to make you promise to keep it secret too. Now, it’s yours.”
I had no idea what he expected me to say to that. It seemed ridiculous on the surface, but knowing Lock and the way he valued certain things, giving me the address to one of the treasures he’d discovered was big for him.
More than confusing, it made me mad. I’d never go to this place without him. The way things were, I’d never go with him either.
“I’ll send it to my favorite influencers. They’ll adore it,” I told him.
“If that’s what you think is right. It’s up to you.” So calm and sure, probably because he was pretty certain I was only being mean and absolutelywouldn’tbe doing that.
