Page 70 of Collided

“Eat dinner with me, then I’ll drive you home,” I suggest.

Her teeth gnaw at her bottom lip and the action makes my insides twist and turn.

“Are you sure?” she asks in a low voice.

“Yes,” I reply in a heartbeat.

“I’ll stay then.” She smiles.

15

Hope

“You don’t ask for hugs. You take them.”

I blame Marie for my actions. It’s the only plausible reason why I ended up hugging Heath.

After he told me about his sister I couldn’t help but console him in some way. He looked concrete like a wall, but I could see it in his eyes, the way he missed his sister. He didn’t shed a tear, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t crying on the inside.

He was in pain. I saw it.

I can only imagine how he carries the weight of such sorrow with him every day. It must bury him some days, or perhaps every day. I know so little about him. Like a puzzle, there are so many pieces to him. With each encounter I gather a new piece, hoping to fit it somewhere in the giant picture. That day in the hallway when I first met him, he was rude and angry, now he’shelping me. All the rumors and whispers I’ve heard about him in the past are like jagged, imperfect pieces that don’t belong.

Lying in my bed, my mind keeps revolving around the guy who’s the total opposite of the person I expected.

Heath appears so tall and muscular when he’s standing next to me. He can snap me in half if he wants to, but with him being near I don’t feel scared. I feel safe and comfortable.

I open the windows. Chill air sweeps in like an uninvited guest and greets me. I embrace it as I sit on the windowsill.

Dinner at his house was quiet. We didn’t talk, even in the car when he dropped me off three hours ago. Since then, my mind has been replaying him.

Musky wood scent. Blue eyes. Dark hair. That’s all I focus on for the rest of the night.

“Hope, did you know…” Marie prates about the game tournament she participated in with Sebastian and how they won second place. The rest of it fades into oblivion when I see Heath. He is leaning against his locker, with one strap of his bag slung over his shoulder as he stares at me.

“…we might participate another time.” Marie stands in my way. “What are you looking at?”

My cheeks burn.“Nothing.”

She turns around and we both look at Heath who’s listening to Sebastian, but his gaze is on me.

A smirk appears on her lips. “I see now. It’s Heath.”

I fold my arms and don’t answer.

“Did something happen between you two?”

“No.”

Her eyes narrow. “My lie detector is catching signals.”

“Itcan’t. I’m not lying.” I tightly hold my book that I haven't touched since yesterday.

She takes my wrist and leads me to the bathrooms which are empty. Closing the door with a thud, she blocks the path and stares at me with interest.

“Tell me. What is it?” She taps her foot impatiently.

Should I tell her?

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