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“I bet.” Amusement is reflected in his words. “Such a good girl.”

My cheeks redden.I’m sure he doesn’t mean it in the context I usually read it in.

“Maybe I should go back.”

He scoffs. “What’s the point if you can’t pay attention?”

“They’ll call my parents.”

“They won’t.”

“Why not?”

“I asked Marie to tell the office you’re sick and won’t come in today.”

Surprise hits me hard.He did that for me.

“When…why…how?” I sputter nervously.

“Am I supposed to answer all those fucking questions?” He drawls out in a sarcastic tone.

“I’d like that.”

He sighs, probably annoyed. “I texted herwhenyou were crying. Ididthat because I assumed you would get a lecture at home. I don’t have the answer tohow.”

My mood lifts a little. I bite my lip to hide the smile. “You didn’t have to do that but thank you.”

Ignoring that he asks, “Are we going to talk about what happened back there?”

I concentrate on the beauty in front of me. The rich blue sky and the white clouds hanging on it. The view is serene and beautiful. Hundred times better than what I see from my window.

“You get panic attacks?” Heath presses.

I hug myself tighter to make myself small. “I don’t know.”

“You can talk,” he says in a grumpy tone.

“To you?”

I feel his stare on me. For a minute I ignore it, hoping he’ll look away, but he doesn’t. The undivided attention makes me cave in. I turn and find his eyes on me, trying to peek at the secrets I’ve been hiding lately.

“To me,” he says softly, but his expression stays hard.

“I don’t know how to do that. We’re not even friends—”

“Let’s be friends.”

My mouth opens and closes like a fish. “What?”

He leans back on his hands. “Marie considers you her best friend already. We’ll be seeing each other a lot. It’s only fair that we become friends.”

“You-you want to be my friend?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

He arches an eyebrow. “Do I sense hesitation?”

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