Page 5 of Keeper of Hearts
I can tell by the smirk on his face that he's only joking, but I apologize anyway. "Sorry. Bad day."
"Victoria?" he guesses, sobering.
"She's such a bitch," I huff, blowing my hair out of my face. No matter how many times I try to put it up, the little baby pieces never stay in place. "But no. I'm just having a bad day. Prom is so stupid, no offense."
"Gage didn't ask you to the dance, huh?"
A damning tear rolls down my cheek.
Corey sees it, and his gray eyes widen. "Ah, shit, don't cry," he pleads, his expression stricken. Is he going to throw up? "I'll kick his ass for you."
The fact that we don't talk often, but he's offering to kick Gage's ass for me, only makes me cry harder. I just want this stupid dance to end already. No. I want this stupidyearto end already. Then I can go to college and forget all about Prom and Victoria and Gage's stupid face.
"He's an idiot," Corey says, stepping closer. He pats me on the back a little too hard and nearly knocks me off my feet. "Oh, shit. Sorry. Sorry."
He grabs me before I land on my ass.
Somehow, he manages to trip me, and I fall into him.
"Christ Almighty," he mutters, bearhugging me to keep me steady.
The fact that he's trying to comfort me but is kind of terrible at it makes me laugh. I feel like a crazy person for laughing and crying simultaneously.
"At least you're laughing," he says, letting me know I said that out loud.
"I'm sorry."
"Nah, it's cool." He pats me on the back again, a little softer this time. "Gage is an idiot if he didn't ask you to Prom. He's lucky to have you."
"You know how I feel about him?" I pull back to look at him, not sure why I'm even asking. Obviously, he knows.
"Baby girl,everyoneknows."
"Oh," I whisper, cringing. No wonder they all believe Victoria when she says I'm a stalker. To them, Gage is the movie star who goes to school with them. And I'm the clueless, chubby girl who follows him around. After the scene in the cafeteria, I'll probably be the laughingstock of the entire school because there's no way Victoria won't tell everyone what happened. "I hate this place."
"I hate this place too," Corey says, which makes me feel bad. The guy I love might be taking someone else to the dance, but Corey doesn't even have the option of asking the guy he loves. His father would disown him.
"We should go together," I blurt as soon as the thought occurs.
Corey's eyes widen again.
"I mean, if you aren't going with someone already," I mumble, fidgeting from foot to foot. "Um, never mind, it's probably a terrible idea. Of course, you're already going with someone else."
"Uh, hell no," he says, looking at me like I've lost it. "I may be in the closet, but I draw the line at fake dating one of these catty bitches."
"Sorry," I whisper. I think I insulted him, but that's not what I meant to do. I just meant that he's a handsome guy, he's funny, and he has a ton of friends here. He could ask anyone to go with him. Even if it were just for show, they would jump at the chance to be seen with him.
"Let's go together."
I blink at him.
"Why not?" he says, shrugging one massive shoulder. "I'd rather hang out with you than be miserable alone." He grimaces. "Shit, that did not come out right. I mean, I'd choose you over these bitches any day. At least you're cool, and you won't try getting in my pants."
"Thanks, I think," I say, teasing him.
"You know what I mean," he says, rolling his eyes. "It'll be good to hang with someone who knows, you know? Having this secret is fucking exhausting."
Empathy wells in my chest. I know exactly how it feels to have a secret. At my last school, everyone knew about my heart transplant. They treated me like I was fragile because of it. I got special treatment because they pitied me.
