Page 79 of When Hearts Collide

Millie, you okay? Ok, that was stupid. We’re going out tonight and will talk about this. I’ll text the other girls. We have your back.

Hot tears slip down my face and I’m even angrier now—at him, at myself for crying over him—and I swipe my eyes with my sleeve and hastily type out a reply.

Millie

Okay.

My emotions are a tornado inside me, with sadness and anger being the front-runners. I want to find a dark hole and crawl into it and bawl my eyes out. Or gorge myself on a pint of chocolate ice cream and chase it with an abundance of alcohol. Fresh tears well in my eyes and I rapidly blink, trying to keep my composure since I’m in public.

Grace

We’ll figure this out, Millie. Don’t jump to conclusions. I know some people and will make calls to find out more.

My eyes are so focused on the text, I don’t see where I’m going and trip over something. My body pits forward and just as I’m about to make my humiliation complete by sprawling across the floor in the bustling building, strong arms shoot out from nowhere to steady me.

“Whoa. Millie. You okay?”

I look up, finding Fred’s concerned gaze on me, his brows furrowing.

Swallowing the ball in my throat, I stare at him, noticing his kind eyes, soft blond hair which seems to gleam gold under the florescent lights, and a kind smile. Tall, fit body. Not as muscular and imposing at Ryland, but still pleasing. He’s gentle. A nice guy. Why can’t I like someone like him? He won’t hurt me like Ryland has. He wouldn’t harm a fly.

Why can’t I like him instead?

“Millie?” he asks, placing his hand gently on my shoulder. “I’m on my way to visit my TA, but are you okay? You seem sad. Is there anything I can help with?”

His voice is so kind, so comforting, but my heart still yearns for the deep cutting tone of a certain dark-haired someone.

The bastard.

I push my sadness to the back of my mind. Compartmentalize, that’s what I’m good at. I excel at hiding my emotions and faking it. After all, I’ve had years of experience doing the same in front of Dad and Adrian.

Straightening up, I focus on the anger, the fury, the scorched earth in my insides. I curl my hands into tight fists and force out a smile. An idea pops into my mind.

Fred’s eyes widen at whatever he sees on my face and I ask, “Fred, are you free on Saturday?”

“Uh…of course. What do you have in mind?” Hope sparks in his eyes. He looks bewildered, but he’s smart enough not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“I’m thinking we can work on our training materials for class,” I reply.

He physically deflates. “Oh, of course. Yeah. Classwork, got to find time to do it.”

“And then I have an event to go to afterward at The Orchid and maybe you can come with me?” The bastard will be there for his sister and damn if I’ll go there by myself and ache over him.

Fred perks up, a bright smile flashing over his boyishly handsome face. “Yes! Of course. I’ll go with you, no problem. Just send me the details.”

Ryland-fucking-Anderson, I’ll make you regret this.

Chapter 31

I’m standing in front of a nondescript cement building on the outskirts of Bronx with Belle, who’s tugging the worn sleeve of my black shirt, her eyes darting around and looking at the questionable neighborhood filled with colorful graffiti and barred windows. The sun has already disappeared behind the clouds, making the entire atmosphere gloomier and more desolate. A breeze flutters by, blowing up paper bags, random wrappers, and other trash on the sidewalk.

“Are you sure this is the place?” she whispers, even though there aren’t many people around us save for a few teenagers smoking weed outside the building and a scary-looking man standing like a sentry at the entrance.

“I think so? I checked the address Taylor sent two times already. She told us to keep an open mind.”

Taylor also told us to dress in clothes we can ruin. I have no idea what she and Grace are up to.

Seconds later, the door flies open and Taylor pokes her head out. Her long, dark hair is tied in thick braids, her eyes startling with the grunge makeup she has on.

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