Page 123 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

“Poppy?”

“I’m here.”

“Last night was…”

“A mistake. I know that.”

“No, Poppy, what happened… I will never forget it. But it can’t happen again. It can’t—”

“I know.”

I’d known the second I’d woken up in Aaron’s arms, wishing it was real. Desperately wishing that it was the start of our beautiful love story. But it wasn’t the start, it was the end. A final line drawn under what we could be if only he’d give it a chance.

I’d known that, and I’d still asked him to kiss me.

“Thank fuck.” His relief was palpable, even over the phone. “I was so worried you’d hate me for it, that I’d lose you…”

“Still here.” I chuckled but it sounded all wrong.

“Poppy?”

“Yeah, Aaron?”

“Promise me, that no matter what happens, no matter where life takes us, that we’ll always be friends. That we’ll always… find our way back to each other.”

“I promise.” The lie soured on my tongue. But I’d tell him whatever he wanted to hear to end this conversation.

“Okay, that’s… that’s all I needed to hear.”

“I’ll see you at school, Monday,” I said, silent tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Yeah, you will.” I heard the smile in his words.

I knew then that no matter what chemistry existed between us, no matter how good—how right—it had felt kissing him, touching him, we were on completely different wavelengths.

He was relieved, ready to put the whole thing behind him. And I was breaking apart, resigned to living in misery at loving a boy who would never love me back the way I wanted him to.

“Bye, Poppy,” he said, the tension in his voice gone.

“Bye.” I hung up.

And let the tears fall.

By the time Monday rolled around, I had a messy knot in my stomach. I would have to face Aaron again, Eli too.

God, Eli.

I was a horrible person, leading him on. Kissing and fooling around with Aaron while he thought we were dating.

I needed to tell him—at least the parts I could. That I liked him, but I didn’t see it going anywhere. Not while I was hung up on Aaron. So I pulled on my big girl panties and set out with the mission of ending things with Eli and acting like the friend Aaron wanted in his life.

I was good at pretending, at pushing my feelings aside. After all, I’d had years of practice.

“You’re quiet,” Sofia said as we pulled into the school parking lot.

“Just thinking.”

“About my jerk face of a brother by any chance?”

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