Page 20 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

Silence descended over us. Eli and I weren’t friends. I knew him because he knew Poppy. He liked Poppy. Which in my head pitted us as enemies. Because she wasn’t his.

But she wasn’t mine either—she never would be.

“So you’re Eli’s new girl’s friend, right? What can you tell me about her because this one is keeping things close to his chest.”

“Leo,” Eli hissed.

“What? I just want to know that the first girl to catch your eye in forever is worth it.” Leo smiled, but I was too caught on his words.

Eli’s new girl.

New girl.

His girl.

My chest tightened and I inhaled a sharp breath. “Me and Poppy go way back, yeah.”

“So is she?” He stared at me expectantly.

“Is she what?” I gawked, confused.

“Is she worth it?”

Fuck.

Well that was the million dollar question, wasn’t it.

No.

Say no.

But I pasted on a fake smile and said, “Yeah.” I almost choked on the words. “She’s worth it.”

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