Page 50 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

“Look, you don’t owe me anything, so quit looking at me like I’m damaged goods and take me home. We can pretend tonight never happened.”

“Does… does Aaron know?”

Bitter laughter caught in my throat.

Of course it came back to Aaron. Because he was the real hurdle between us. Always would be.

“No, and I’d appreciate it if you could keep it that way. He doesn’t need to know yet.”

“Sofia, come on, this is—”

“My business,” I snapped. “My parents have agreed to honor my wishes, so I hope you can too. If you can’t, well I guess I made an error in judgment trusting you with this.” My chest squeezed.

“Sofe, that’s not fair—”

“Nothing in life is, Cole.” I got up and headed for the door. “I’ll meet you by the car.”

The sooner I got out of here, the better.

* * *

The rideback to my house was suffocating. Cole barely said two words to me, and I didn’t have the energy to reassure him.

I’d given him my truth, and he’d crumpled under the weight of it.

But strangely, I didn’t regret it. Because at least now, we were both clear about where we stood. I couldn’t get into a relationship with someone right now, and he clearly didn’t want to be involved with someone who was sick.

The second my house came into view, relief slammed into me. Cole pulled up outside and I grabbed the door handle. “I guess I’ll see you at school.” I forced myself to look at him. But he was still staring straight ahead. As if he couldn’t even look at me.

Damn you, Cole.

“And please, don’t say anything to Aaron. I will tell him, of course I will. But I need more time.”

He nodded.

An imperceptible, barely there nod.

Well, then.

I guess there wasn’t much more to say, so I ducked out of his car and headed up to the house.

In a cheesy rom-com movie, Cole might have burst out of the car, swept me up in his arms, and kissed me under the stars while the music rose to an emotional crescendo and fireworks went off around us.

But my life wasn’t a movie.

If it was, it definitely wasn’t a rom-com; it was a tragedy with no surprise happy ending.

And as if I didn’t need any more reminder of that fact, the rumble of Cole’s car pulling off and disappearing down the street really hammered it home.

He left.

Just like that.

What had started out as a non-date with so many possibilities had quickly become the worst non-date in the history of non-dates ever.

I never should have gone with him.

But deep down, I’d wanted it.

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