Page 24 of Heartbeat

“He did?”

“Yes. I told you he’s nice.”

She smiled. “Are you going?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“It’s at his best friend’s house.”

“What’s the matter with his friend?”

“He’s a prick, that’s all.”

“He is?”

“First contact I had with someone from that school was him texting me asking if I was the, quote, psycho kid.”

“What did you reply?”

“Yes, of course. I don’t lie, Alicia,” I added, smirking.

At least she did too.

“If it weren’t at his house, would you go?”

“No,” I said, again, quite quickly.

“Why not?”

I realized I couldn’t bluff my way out of this one, so I decided to just be honest. I took a deep breath. “Because, I don’t know what’s going on with this guy. And he’s kind.”

By the way she looked at me, she knew I was dead serious. “Kind?”

“Yes.” I might have even smiled for a quick second. “He seems very kind.”

“You don’t think you’re kind?”

I looked at her for a few moments, then tilted my head.

“Doesn’t matter,” I said three seconds before our time was up.

Chapter Seven

Liam

On Friday, Blake, Sam, Adam, and I walked home together after school. I still had Ethan’s jacket on, having been unable to find him all day. Also, there was the smallest of chances I’d purposefully avoided running into him, due to the fact that it was a very comfortable jacket. Plus, it kind of smelled like him, which I knew wasn’t something I should’ve be focusing on, but yeah, I’ve absolutely been focusing on that fact.

“Please come with us.” Blake all but begged me for the third time in under as many minutes, tugging my arm without letting go of Adam’s hand.

I started to say something, but Sam beat me to it.

“He doesn’t like Dean.”

“No one likes Dean,” Adam said. “I mean, I know you dated him and all, Sam, but—”

“He’s not the easiest person to get to know; I realize that,” she said.

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