Page 14 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

“For real?” Sofia balked, moving closer to them. “You said you were with the guys from the team.”

“I was. We were—”

“Oh, Sofia, hi, I didn’t see you there.” Her saccharine sweet smile was laced with venom. “Poppy.” She barely looked at me, wrapping a hand around Aaron’s arm.

My gaze zeroed in on where she touched him. There was so much ownership in it, it made my heart sink.

That and the fact Aaron didn’t ask Zara to remove her hand.

“I have to get to class,” I blurted, and without waiting for Sofia, I took off toward the building, willing my heart to calm down.

He wasn’t mine.

Besides, I had Eli.

I liked Eli.

But jealousy coursed through my veins as my heart failed to catch up with what my head already knew.

Aaron wasn’t mine.

He never would be.

“There you are.” Eli pressed his hand against the locker bank and smiled down at me. “How was the party last night?”

“It was okay. How was your evening?”

“Oh you know, a thrilling night of homework and annoying little brothers.” He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and pulled up a photo of Riley and Reese.

“Aw, look at all that cuteness.”

“You call it cuteness, I call it chaos. They run me ragged, and I can swim two hundred yards in one-fifty point eight.”

“Impressive.” I grabbed the books I needed and closed my locker.

“You should come watch me practice.”

“Maybe I will.”

His eyes twinkled. “Yeah? I thought I’d have to work a little harder to get you to say yes.”

“Half naked guys in itty bitty Speedos. What’s not to like?”

“Oh, it’s like that, huh?” Laughter bubbled in his chest. “Can I walk you to class?”

“Sure.” I shrugged, keeping a respectable distance between us. It wasn’t like we were dating, not really. We’d hung out a few times. Maybe shared a kiss in the library last week.

My cheeks burned as I remembered his words.

“You know, my friends told me you were a lost cause. Said that you and Aaron Bennet were a thing.”

I’d instantly regretted it—not that I’d kissed him, but that I’d done it out of anger. Because a few days before, I had watched Aaron kiss Zara, and I wanted to get back at him.

As irrational and futile as it was, I wanted to hurt him, the way he’d unknowingly hurt me.

Eli seemed happy to go at my pace, but I could sense his confusion. I’d gone from hot to cold in the space of a second.

“You know, we haven’t talked about what happened.”

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