Page 34 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

“Sof—”

My phone chimed and I leaned over to grab it.

“It’s Aaron,” I said, scanning the text.

Aaron: How is she?

Me: Alive.

Aaron: Gee, thanks. Asshole.

Me: Don’t think she’s ever going to forgive me.

Aaron: Nah, she’ll come around eventually. You did the right thing and now that she has the all-clear we can put it all behind us.

“Tell him to go away,”Sofia murmured, rolling over to face me.

Fuck, she looked adorable, eyes heavy with sleep, her hair all mussed up and sexy.

She looked real, and I’d always loved that about her.

Sofia and Poppy weren’t Barbie bitches like some of the girls at school. They didn’t climb over other people to get a leg up the social ladder. They didn’t care. Which was something given that Poppy’s dad was an NFL legend, and Sofia’s brothers both played for the football team.

I read my next text out as I typed it. “Sofia said go away.”

“Asshole,” she whispered, but I caught the smile tugging at her lips.

“How do you feel, really?”

“Nauseous. Embarrassed… Confused.”

“Confused?” I turned onto my side to face her.

“You were kind to me last night,” she said.

“I’m always kind.”

“You’re…” She pressed her lips together and I inched closer, reaching for her. My fingers brushed away the stray hairs around her face and Sofia’s breath caught.

“I’m what, Sofe?”

But she crushed the hope building in my chest by saying, “I almost kissed that guy.”

“Yeah. Probably a good thing you didn’t.” Her brows furrowed, and I added, “I would have had to kick his ass.”

“Cole…”

“Too much?”

“I’m not your friend right now.” The twinkle in her eye was at odds with her somber words.

“I can make it up to you.”

“I’m Aaron’s sister. He won’t—”

Pressing a finger to Sofia’s lips, I silenced her. “In case you hadn’t worked it out yet, the reason I told everyone the truth about how many times you’d fainted was because I care about you.”

“I…”

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