Page 95 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

How did I not know any of this?

‘He’d bring you coffee and watch chick flick movies with you. He made you Rice Krispie treats in the shape of hearts one Valentine’s Day. He’d bring you chicken noodle soup and your homework when you were sick. There’s so much more, and you thought all that was just a teen boy being yourfriend?’

Oh my god. Until right now, I hadn’t seen through any of this. I sincerely thought it was just him being a good friend.

‘Don’t even get me started on senior prom night; after Justin left you there to bone Ashley in his car. Sure, you left early, but Dax hunted him down the next morning, threatened his life, and made him apologize to you. Did you thinkJustinbought those flowers? No. That was all Dax.’

‘What?’

She nods, verifying the words that just left her lips.

He made Justin apologize? We just talked about this, and yet no mention of this part. None of our past was him just being the nice guy. He liked me. Or, in his words, he loved me. I thought he was nice to me because I was his bestie’s sister. But it was more than that the whole time?

I drop my head into my hands, tears quickly pushing through. I couldn’t see him as anything other than River’s best friend and the kid next door. That must have been so hard for him. Then I unexpectedly show up here, and River pawns me off on him. God, he was probably a nervous wreck. All the awkwardness I’ve sensed between us was him trying to hide all this.

My breathing speeds into impending anxiety. ‘I have to make this up to him.’

‘I’m sorry, Hols. I didn’t know you didn’t see it, or I’d have told you. I thought you just weren’t interested.’

‘Mercy, I could have had a completely different life.’

‘I wouldn’t go that far. You were just teenagers.’

Cheering outside muffles the music still playing and earns our attention. I glance out, confused.

‘The show!’ Mercy says suddenly, running to the patio door and stepping out. ‘You guys got top spot again,’ she says, a proud smile on her face as she looks back at me.

I forgot about the show. We won another week when Jillian put us in the bottom two? I have to talk to Dax. Like right now.

‘Can you take me home?’

25

DAX

Fifteen Minutes Later – At Dax’s Apartment…

‘Dax.’ Hollyn walks in suddenly, slamming the door behind her, her make-up smudged under her eyes.

I stand up from the couch, instantly worried about her. I take it she and Mercy had a fight?

‘Firstly, you won,’ she says, a hesitant grin on her face.

‘I know. Even when they put us in the bottom two. I can’t believe it.’

‘Secondly, Tristan’s not the first one of my boyfriends you’ve threatened, is he?’

I’m confused. ‘What?’

‘After what I told you by the pool that night, after prom, you threatened Justin too, didn’t you?You’rethe reason he apologized? You bought those flowers he brought me?’

Shit. OK, no longer confused. ‘Uh—’

‘I already know the answer, Dax. I just want to hear it from you.’

I swallow down the lump growing in my throat, before finally nodding. ‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘To all of it. I’m sorry. I just – I couldn’t stand that he’d hurt you like he did. So, I gave him two choices. Apologize or die.’ I shrug. ‘He didn’t choose death.’

Hollyn heaves a sigh as she walks across the room, stepping up onto the ottoman, kissing me hard. Her hands are in my hair, and I forget to even breathe for a second because I’ve never had someone kiss me like this.

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