Page 51 of Silent Desires

“Hmmm… okay,” he says, his tone playful. “Do you know what the purpose of flirting is?”

I sit up a little, letting go of my face, and look him in the eyes, curious about the answer. I shake my head again.

A smile covers his face, and then Jasper answers for us. “It’s to show someone you’re interested in them… as more than a friend.” My eyes widen as I stare at him. Is that what I was doing? Showing them I wanted more than a friendship from them? But I couldn’t have that with both of them. But they were clearly both flirting with me. I hadn’t really thought about what would happen next.

“So, now you know,” Max says, voice low, “if you flirt with someone, they’ll think you want something more with them.”

That feels like an invitation, so I don’t stop myself from gently trailing my finger up and down his thigh. This time, it’shiseyes that widen.

I watch as he swallows nervously, looking unsure about his next step. His eyes dip to my lips and my breath hitches. Is he going to kiss me? I lick my lips nervously and his eyes dart up to mine.

Slowly, he reaches out and holds my face gently between his large hands. His thumbs graze over my cheeks and he starts to lean forward.This is it! This is going to be my first kiss, and it’s with Max!

My eyes close as I lean towards him, he moves my head a little, then I feel his lips… on my cheek. My eyes open in surprise and a little disappointment. When he pulls back, he gives me an apologetic smile that brings a flush of embarrassment to my cheeks. I quickly turn to face the front, unsure what to make of that.

Is he not interested in me as more than a friend? Maybe he never expected his flirting to go anywhere. But why would they tell me that you flirt with someone if you want to build that relationship if it’s not what they want with me?

I glance at Jasper out of the side of my eye and watch as his hands flex and tighten on the steering wheel, like something is on his mind. Oh, maybehe’sthe one who wants something more with me, and Max didn’t want to get in the way. I mean, I would be beyond flattered if either twin wanted something more with me, but I don’t think I could actually choose between them. They were both so different. Besides, I’m not in a place to build anything with anybody right now, so it’s for the best that Max didn’t kiss me.Liar.

I need to figure out a way to get out of my house before Simon returns. Could I tell the guys about him? Atlas said I could always go to him for help. But when he learns the truth, that it’s my fault my family fell apart, what Jeff and my mother’s other boyfriends have done to me, and what I caused my own brother to do to me, I don’t think he’d be able to stand looking at me anymore. I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror.

Assoon as I arrive at school, something feels off. The students seem quieter, and there are a lot of whispers. Nobody is really looking at us though, so I don’t think it’s anything to do with me. I grip the twins’ hands tighter where I’m sandwiched between them. We—Max and I—get settled in math class and I decide to ask him about it and pull out my phone to type out a text to him.

Me:Why is everyone acting weird?

I see him read the message, and he seems a little nervous. He looks over at me, trying to read my face.

“You don’t know?”

I shake my head.

“About what happened on Friday night?”

I shake my head again. He sighs, turns to me, grabs my hand, and strokes his thumb over my palm in a comforting gesture.

“A student, Lisa, was found murdered in the woods on Friday night.”

My eyes go wide, and my mouth drops open. A studentdied?No, not just died, but was murdered? With my shaky hands, I pull out my phone and type.

Me:Did they catch the killer?

He reads it, and his eyes dart to mine. He shakes his head.

I suddenly have a thought and type.

Me:Which woods?

Hereads it but doesn’t say anything. He looks like he doesn’t want to answer. I grab his hand and squeeze, begging him with my eyes to tell me.

“The one behind your house. It wasn’t that close to your house, though. At least a half-hour walk.”

My breathing picks up. That’s still really close to me. I was laying in my bed Friday night while this girl, Lisa, was being murdered nearby. And the killer is still out there.

Me:Do they think it was a onetime thing? This isn’t like a serial killer or something, is it?

He looks at me with sad eyes. “They think it might be a serial killer.”

I want to know who Lisa is, so I do a search and find a result pretty quickly. Lisa Sanchez, seventeen, and...Oh. My. God.My eyes shoot up to Max as tears start to form.

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