Page 64 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

“I don’t want to ruin what we have, Poppy. You’re too important to me. I need you.”

“I know, I need you too. I want this, Aaron. I want you.” So much it hurts.

“No, Poppy.” His expression crumbled. “I need you… as my friend.”

“As your friend.”

It wasn’t a question but he answered it anyway.

“Yeah.”

“You…” I inhaled a sharp breath. It hurt so freaking much, how easily he could reject the chemistry between us, the constant pull. Didn’t he feel it? The sharp tug in his stomach every time he saw me. Because I did. I felt it and every time, I wanted to grab a hold of it and never let go.

“You don’t like me like that?”

“Even if I did, it can never happen. There’s too much at stake. We’re practically family. Your dad is my coach. You have plans for college. It would only make things awkward when we—” He stopped himself but I filled in the blanks.

“Wow.” I swallowed over the ball of emotion caught in my throat. “Breaking us up before we ever get started. How very cowardly of you.”

“Poppy.” He reached for me again. “That’s not—”

“Don’t. Don’t touch me.” Silent tears rolled down my cheeks. “I was ready to go out there and tell Eli that I couldn’t see him anymore because it’s you. It’s always been you, Aaron. But it’s never been me, has it?” A bitter, strangled laugh escaped my mouth. “And I knew, deep down I knew it. But my heart won’t let you go. It keeps clinging onto signs that aren’t there and I’m tired. I’m tired of trying to make you see me.”

I shoved him away and grabbed the door handle.

“Poppy.” He grabbed my arm, but I yanked it back.

“No. I’m done, Aaron. I am so fucking done.” I all but ran out of there, my lungs burning as I tried to fight the deluge of tears rushing to escape my eyes.

The vibration of my cell phone grounded me, but when I dug it out of my pocket and saw Eli’s name, a bolt of guilt and shame speared through me.

I was a horrible person.

Poor Eli was sitting in the theater waiting, and I was acting like a lovesick fool, letting Aaron toy with me. With my fragile emotions.

My tired weary heart.

Drying my eyes with the heel of my palms, I inhaled a couple of deep breaths and made my way back down the hall. Slipping into the theater, I returned to my seat next to Eli.

“Everything okay?” he asked. “I got worried.”

“Fine.” I gave him a weak smile. “What did I miss?”

His eyes narrowed slightly and for a second, I wondered if he knew. If he could sense another guy’s kiss on my lips, or see the tears dried on my cheeks. But then his expression softened and he leaned in closer, to fill me in on the movie.

And I sat there, trying to pretend that my heart wasn’t shattering in my chest.

By the time the credits started rolling, I wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl into bed and stay there for at least two days.

At least there wasn’t any sign of Aaron when we left the movie theater. Eli casually draped his arm over my shoulder and hugged me into his side. “You’ve been quiet ever since you disappeared on me. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

Ugh.

I hated lying to him. That wasn’t who I was, not really. But everything was so confusing.

“You can talk to me, Poppy, I hope you know that.”

“Me and Aaron had a fight,” I blurted out, instantly regretting it.

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