Page 31 of Paper Hearts

“So? Dad doesn’t know that. Tell him anything you want. I don’t care. I’m eighteen.”

“And he’s sixteen,” I point out, raising my voice, anger vibrating through me. “Find someone your own age.”

Becca’s stares at me. “He’s not your age either, Hadi.” And then she walks away from me toward Ender, or the direction he went because he’s not standing there anymore.

Harper leaves. “Let her get in trouble.”

I don’t move. I’m locked in place watching Becca follow Ender. Sighing, I leave. Becca’s right. He’s older than me and he probably doesn’t want anything to do with the youngest Hayes girl.

I don’t sleep that night. At least not until Becca comes home and I hear her in the room whispering to Harper. I pretend to be asleep with the blankets pulled up over my head.

Peeling them down a bit, I notice Becca sitting on the bed and discarding her ripped tank top. “Jesus Christ, Ender has some anger issues.”

Harper laughs lightly. “I thought he was with Kamila?”

“Apparently she’s not enough for him.”

Pain hits my chest. I’m disappointed that Ender had sex with Becca of all people. Freaking Becca! Why my sister? It wasn’t so bad when I knew he’d been with Kamila, but Becca, that’s like a knife stabbing my insides.

“You know Hads likes him,” Harper tells her.

Becca snorts and I peel the blanket back slightly to see her eyes soften. “He’s too old for her.”

Hot tears roll down my cheeks and I pull the blanket up higher over my head. I know one thing, my relationship with Becca will never be the same again.

12

WHEN HE GOT HIS FIRST SET OF WHEELS

The next morning, Becca leaves the lake house. Guess what? Ender doesn’t look disappointed. In fact, I don’t think he cares where she is.

That same day, a truck shows up in the driveway of the James house and Ender and Myles stand next to it.

With a towel and my bikini on, I head over, ready to get Arya so we can go over to Sunset Cove with Harper.

“Hey, Hads.” Ender smiles in my direction and then looks over to the truck, his eyebrows waggling. Well, he’s in a better mood, isn’t he?

I force down the thoughts of wanting to punch him in the face for having sex with my sister. I know Becca well enough to know she probably instigated it. At least that’s what I’m telling myself, because I can’t possibly accept that Ender likes her.

“That’s cool you got a truck.” Looking over the 1956 Ford F250, I smile to myself that Ender’s so proud of it. For someone who has never shown much excitement, he sure does for that truck. “Did your parents buy it for you?”

“No. I bought it myself.” He chuckles, his eyes on the truck that’s seen better days. We stand next to it and Ender sighs, hanging his head. “My old man wouldn’t help me even if I asked him. It wasn’t his choice of car, so he said I was on my own.”

“Does it run?”

“Yep. He wanted me to get a Jeep or a car, but I saw this and couldn’t help it. With a little care, it’s just as reliable as a fucking Jeep.” He kicks at the tire, rust fluttering to the rocks. Then with a reluctant look, he tips his head toward me. “Wanna go for the first ride?”

“No one has ridden in it yet?” There’s no denying my eagerness.

“Nope, only Myles.” His eyes find mine. “No girls yet.”

I might be only fourteen, but as I stare up at him, at the sunlight on his cheeks and fire in his eyes when he looks at me, my insides fluster and compete between being mad at him and wanting to be closer. “Not even Becca?”

His brow furrows and his lips twitch into a smirk. “Definitely not Becca,” he’s quick to say, and I believe him. “You wanna go?”

Arya hangs her head out the second-story window of her room. “I’ll be down in a minute Hads!”

I turn back to Ender. “I can’t. I’m going with Arya and Harper to Sunset Cove today.”

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