Page 15 of Heartbeat

“Thanks for the company.”

He tilted his head, like he did at the library. Then he tried to wink. It was kind of funny how he thought he had.

Chapter Five

Brown Leather Jacket

When I went inside, my parents were both in the living room, waiting. Mom was pacing back and forth, while dad was slumped on the couch looking at her, bored.

“Where were you?” my mom asked, clearly pissed.

“Out?”

“Yes, that much is obvious.”

“Where were you?” my dad repeated, equally mad.

“I told you I was going out.”

“Yes, but this is a school night. You can’t go out on a Tuesday and come back at 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday,” Mom said.

I scoffed. “I can’t?”

“Thomas,” my dad warned me.

“Am I not allowed to go out?” I asked calmly.

“Of course you’re allowed—” Dad started saying, but I didn’t let him.

“Because I kinda thought it’d be a good thing. Dr. Foster keeps telling me to make friends, and you guys keep telling me to get out more, so I’m confused.”

“It’s not that you went out—” he said.

“It’s that we didn’t know where you went.” Mom said.

“The Den,” I said. “And you could’ve just texted me.”

“We shouldn’t have to,” Dad said, and now he was just starting to piss me off.

“Summer says hi, by the way.”

“Oh? You were with Summer?” Mom asked, instantly relaxing.

It only pissed me off more.

“No. I just ran into her.”

They exchanged looks as though having just confirmed some theory.

“Thomas—” Mom started to say.

“Look, if you don’t want me to go out, I won’t. I don’t care,” I interrupted.

“You can go out—”

“Great!” I said. “I’m gonna go get some sleep ’cause I got school in a few hours.”

Before they could say anything, I turned and left the room, heading up the stairs and walking down the hall until reaching my bedroom. Noah’s was next to mine, and just as I passed by it, the light went off from the crack under his door. It seemed everyone had waited up for me.

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