Page 82 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

But all I could see was her staring up at me the other night, eyes brimming with love and lust. All I could hear were those four little words.

I love you, Aaron.

Shit.

I was in such deep shit.

Because my resolve was crumbling.

Reaching for her, I half-expected her to swat my hand away but she didn’t. Poppy let me curve my hand along the side of her neck as I took one final step, erasing the last inch of space between us. “Poppy Star,” I breathed, rubbing my thumb over her pulse point.

“Aaron, what are you doing?”

“I don’t know. All I know is I hate that things are all wrong between us. You’re my—”

“Friend, yeah.” She bristled. “I got the memo.”

“Best friend.” I corrected, leaning closer.

“A-Aaron, what are you—”

I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight, and breathed her in. “I fucked up. But I’m a guy. We do that occasionally. What we have, Poppy. It’s more than friendship. I need you. You know that, right?”

Easing back, I looked down at her. But she wasn’t smiling.

“Poppy?”

“I think… I think I need some space, Aaron.”

“Space? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“This… you… all the mixed signals. You kissed me.” She glanced around, but it was empty back here. Quiet. Intimate.

Another bolt of heat went through me.

“And I apologized.”

“Exactly. You kissed me and then you apologized because you think it was a mistake.”

“It was—”

“I think you’re lying.” Her eyes narrowed.

“The fuck?” I recoiled. “I’m not—”

“You say you’re not. Fine. Look me in the eye then and tell me that you’re not thinking about kissing me again right now.” She stood taller, craning her neck to stare me dead in the eyes. “Look at me and tell me that you don’t care that I’m dating Eli.”

“I don’t.” The words tasted like ash on my tongue. “He’s good for you.”

“Then you won’t care if we go to Homecoming then. Or if I give him—” She stopped herself.

“Go on, say it.” A sticky trail of dread snaked through me.

“You won’t care if I sleep with him.”

Fuck.

Fuck.

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