Page 47 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

“They’re guys. They have hormones and stuff.”

“Ew, gross. What are you talk—”

“This, this is what I mean.” Pity etched in her expression. “Darla and her friends are kissing their way through every boy in our class and you’re… pining after my brother.”

“I am not.”

“Poppy, I know you.” Her brow arched. “I watch the two of you together all the time. He’s my twin and you’re my best friend, but sometimes I don’t even understand what you two share.”

“We’re friends.”

“Yeah, okay. Just promise me you won’t wait for him.”

“What do you mean?” My heart stuttered in my chest, a band of wild horses trampling inside of me.

“He’s going to meet a girl, Pops. A girl who kisses guys the way I eat Twizzlers. Once he’s kissed a girl what do you think he’s gonna want to do?”

“Why are you saying all this to me?” My chest tightened.

“Because I love you and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Aaron is… he’s a good guy. And he loves you.”

Her words sank into me, making me soar. Aaron loved me. I’d thought he did for a while. But hearing her say it was different. It was everything.

She didn’t look happy about it though, and I should have known she was about to bring me back down to reality with a resounding thud.

“But he’ll never see you that way, Poppy.”

“What?” My stomach sank. “Why?”

“Because you’re family. You’re too important. And it would complicate things.”

“I…” I wanted to argue, but she was right.

Aaron was loyal. He was kind and sweet and good. And he would never risk my heart like that.

“You’re right,” I said. “I’m being stupid. It’s just a silly crush. It’ll go away. Especially when we get to junior high and he starts making out with anything with boobs.”

But the words were a lie.

Because I didn’t have a silly crush. I was utterly and hopelessly in love with him.

Part of me always had been.

I looked into the future and all I saw was Aaron. The two of us, together. Happy.

It was too late.

My heart already belonged to him.

Whether he wanted it or not.

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