Page 52 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

But it was Poppy.

My Poppy.

“Yeah?” I turned around, our eyes colliding in the dark.

“Stay with me.”

“Poppy, I—”

“Please, Aaron.”

Powerless.

I was fucking powerless against her quiet, drunken plea.

“Yeah.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll stay.” Quickly texting our parents to let them know we were staying out, I kicked off my sneakers and laid down beside her. She shuffled closer, nestling into my side and breathed out a contented sigh.

“That’s better,” she murmured, her voice thick with liquor and sleep.

“Get some sleep, Pops.”

“Night, Aaron the Greatest.”

“Night, Poppy Star.”

I closed my eyes, lying stiff as a board, hoping to God no one else could hear the violent crash of my heart in my chest.

We’d slept like this a hundred times before. But it had never felt like this, like gravity was pulling us closer.

Friend.

She’s your friend.

That’s all she could be.

Until she whispered, “I love you, Aaron.”

A bolt of lightning crashed through me.

“Poppy?” My voice trembled as those three words infiltrated my heart.

My fucking soul.

But she didn’t reply, already asleep.

And I lay there wondering if she’d really said them at all.

---