Page 30 of The Beginning and End of Everything
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I just feel it. Just promise me you'll never leave me, Con, okay?"
Then I did put my arm around her. "I'll never leave you, Poppy. I promise."
That was the easiest promise I had made in my life. I never intended to leave that girl. Ever.
14
Poppy
Not long after Brandon made his triumphant entrance, Connor left. We exchanged an awkward hug, followed by an even more awkward pause where his gaze dropped to my lips.
I shut the front door and pressed my back to it while guilt weighed my shoulders down.
I’d almost kissed Connor.
And the more concerning thing was: I’dwantedto kiss him. Because he was sweet and kind, and, when he started inching his way toward me, it had felt so very right—at least, until Brandon stormed in all victorious.
That changed everything.
My emotions jumbled and tangled, tightening my chest as I climbed the stairs to my room. As far as my adolescent self could tell, I was in love with Brandon, and yet, part of me was beginning to fall for Connor. What kind of person was I? Falling for not one, but both of my best friends.
I slammed my bedroom door, then paced at the foot of my bed. Something had to be wrong with me. Even Hope wouldn’t pull some stunt like this. If I weren’t careful, I’d ruin everything.
On a huff, I wiggled out of my jeans and shirt and pulled on one of Brandon’s old T-shirts he’d left at my house. A familiar knock sounded at my window, and I took a deep breath. When I didn’t go to the window, he tapped the glass again. Brandon knew I left it unlocked—specifically for him. Knocking was nothing but a curtesy.
I spun around, shot him the nastiest glare I could manage, then flipped him the bird before I fell back onto my bed. He was still at the window when I took the book from my nightstand and turned to the dog-eared page. It was harder than I thought it would be to focus on the print while trying to ignore the subtle ache in my chest.
The glass juddered against the frame, followed by the rustle of Brandon’s crawling through the gap. His feet hit the carpet with a thud, but I kept my gaze locked onto the words, pretending to be invested even though I wasn’t comprehending a single line.
“Possum?”
On a sigh, I flipped the page, smoothing the crease in the paper. I was angry at him, but the thing that made it worse: I had no right to be.
“You’re mad at me for interrupting your thing with Connor.”
My face went fire-hot. I tossed the book to the foot of my bed, then crossed my arms over my chest on a hard stare. “It wasn’t athingwith Connor, Brandon.” It almost was, but there was no way I’d ever admit that.
“O-kay…” He shoved his hands into his pockets and scraped a heel over the carpet.
It was all different now. One night and everything had changed. He’d kissed Lisa—doneotherthings with Lisa, and I despised that she now had parts of Brandon I never would.
“What do you want?” My voice caught in the back of my throat.
“Poss, you know I hate it when you’re mad at me.”
When I didn’t say anything, he face-planted on my bed, grabbing fistfuls of the comforter and groaning. “Girls are so confusing!”
I studied the way his biceps flexed while he gripped the covers, the tangles in his hair that I was certain Lisa had caused. Anger bubbled inside, popping and fizzing, heating my core until I wanted to explode. And I did.
“Why don’t you go crawl through Lisa’s window then. She doesn’t seem to confuse you.” The second those words left my mouth, I regretted them. They made me sound jealous, but as much as I hated it, I was.
He lifted his head, then rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand. “Because I don’t like Lisa. And the last time I checked, you’re my best friend.”
“You had sex with her. What do you mean you don’t like her?”
He rolled his eyes. “Poss, you don’t have to like a girl to, you know…” He swept an invisible crumb from my bed. “I just didn’t want to be a virgin anymore.”
And he thought girls were confusing. Groaning, I grabbed the book from the end of my bed, reopened it, and leaned against the headboard. “Whatever, Brandon.”
