Page 110 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

“Sorry if I—”

“Forget it.” She waved Aaron off. “I would have told him later. You just beat me to it. Make sure you look after my girls.”

“Always,” he said.

His promise clinched my heart.

He meant it.

In this moment, I had no doubt Aaron meant it.

But it wasn’t enough.

It never had been.

The mood in Aaron’s car was tense. Sofia and I sat with Cole in the back. The two of them were acting strange. He’d asked her twice now how she was feeling and Sofia had snapped his head off. I stayed out of it, pressing my forehead against the cool glass, watching Halston roll by until the scenery became more familiar.

Tonight was supposed to be about escaping Aaron and the mess circling us, but the universe had once again forced us together.

I wanted to say it was a sign, some greater power trying to right the wrongs between us. But I knew better.

It was the universe’s way of telling me that I would never escape him. That our lives were too intrinsically entwined. Even when we went our separate ways for college, there would always be family celebrations, holidays, and parties. I would have to see him with his first girlfriend. Watch as he fell in love with someone who wasn’t me. Watch him build a life with the woman he deemed the one.

It made me feel sick to my stomach, knowing that it would never be me. That I would never get to experience all those things with him.

It made me—

“I’ll take Cole home first. Poppy,” his voice reverberated through me, “where are you going?”

“I… uh—”

“Ours, she’s staying at ours,” Sofia said, as if there was any other option.

“Yeah, okay.”

I dug my cell phone out of my purse and texted Dad. He replied right away.

Dad: Fine. But we’ll be having words about this tomorrow. I’m disappointed, Poppy.

Guilt coiled through me as I texted back.

Me: I know.

“Your dad?” Sofia asked, and I nodded.

“He’s pissed.”

“Wait until he sees your face.”

“Gee, thanks.”

She grabbed my hand and threaded our hands together. “You won’t tell him, will you? About me fainting?”

“Sofe, you need to tell them.”

“If it happens again, I will. I promise. But I can’t have them locking me in my bedroom or calling the doctor every time it happens. I just got overwhelmed.”

“Poppy’s right, you should tell them,” Aaron said from upfront.

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