AllFreeNovel
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“Do we have to ride our bikes?” she whines over the rushing wind as we pedal up the sidewalk. “Why can’t my driver just take us?”
I give her a hard look. “I told you. I don’t want anyone to know. And you better not tell anyone either.”
I jump my bike off the curb.
“Fine,” she huffs.
We drop our bikes next to the door, a bell jingling as we enter the toy store. I glance around and spot what I want almost immediately: a floppy black stuffed cat.
I pick it up, running my fingers through the soft fur. I look doubtfully at Seren. “Girls like stuffed animals, right?”
Serenity looks at me like I’m stupid. “Little girls?”
“Like, maybe a couple years younger than us—twelve.”
She shrugs. “I always liked dolls myself, but yeah, some girls like stuffies.”
I give her a grateful smile and pay for the cat with some cash that Trey gave me to buy his weed. I could use my dad’s credit card, but I don’t want him to ask about this. It feels private. I don’t even like that Serenity knows, but I know she’ll keep my secret.
The next time we go to a party at the Conners’, I leave the toy on Charlotte’s bed, staring at it with a frown. I’ve never really done something special for anyone but Trey until now. All I know is that Charlotte was sad, and it made me sad, and maybe this gesture will fix it.
I slip back downstairs and out the backdoor to smoke in the pool room.
I never sawCharlie’s reaction, and no matter how many times I tried to catch her gaze from across the room after that, she never really saw me. Worse, despite Matt’s obvious disregard for herfeelings, she was still always with him. It left a bad taste in my mouth.
“The little stuffed cat,” she continues with a smirk. “You told me that day that it was for a girl from the other side of town. You told me her name was Charlotte.”
“I also told you not to talk about it ever again,” I say pointedly, and her smile widens.
“I knew you knew her that night at the bonfire. I thought it was just because she was from Brighton, but you actuallyknewher.”
“I never knew her. I never even talked to her. My dad just dragged us to her stepdad’s business parties.”
“Don’t bullshit me, Lincoln. You can pretend you hate her all you want, but your eyes tell a different story. You want her.”
“Just because I want to fuck her doesn’t mean I don’t hate her.”
She covers her mouth with her hand dramatically. “You’ve neverwantedto fuck anyone.”
I refuse to meet her eyes. “What do you mean? I fuck people all the time.”
“But you don’twantto. You choose sex to manage your damage.” She drops her hand, and her eyes look glassy and sad. “You actually want her,” she repeats quietly.
I don’t really know what to say. I’m not about to tell her she’s right. And while the realization is hurting her, there's nothing I can do to change it. I’ll never want Serenity like that.
I change the subject. “Do you want to grab a coffee or something?”
“I can’t,” she says with a sigh. “But I did mean to ask you how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“Your mom’s birthday just passed, Link.” Her blue eyes crinkle with concern.
I swallow, a tendril of anger still curling in my stomach when I remember how I yelled at Charlie that day. “It was extra terrible, actually.”
Seren frowns. “What happened?”
“Charlie walked in on me watchingRomeo + Juliet, and I lost my shit. We had a pretty nasty fight.”
