Page 91 of Collided

“No! I’m just… shocked.” I pause. “You don’t seem like the person who befriends people.”

“I don’t, but it’syou.”

“Me?”

He stares deeply at me. “Yes.”

I never thought I’d be friends with the bad boy of the school—that’s whateveryone elsesays. The idea doesn't appall me, maybe because I’ve started to know him a little.

“I guess we can be.”

Heath holds back a chuckle with a cough, but I see the hint of his smile.

Tilting his head he looks down at me. “You guess?How sweet.”

I only smile.

Maybe being friends with him won’t be such a bad idea. After all, there aren’t any feelings involved, and there never will be. Yet, my heart races just thinking about him.

20

Heath

I’ve lost my fucking mind.

That’s the only plausible reason why I’ve brought Hope tomysecret place. I’m talking to her while my heart jumps and sinks inside my chest like I’m having multiple heart attacks all at once.

Is that even fucking possible?

Apparently yes when she’s around.

We’re sitting together—with no body partstouching—but I can feel her heat and lavender scent—don’t even get me started on it—swirling around me and consuming me.

What kind of fucking sorcery is this? I’ve never been affected by someone’s perfume, but for fuck’s sake, her flowery scent is driving me nuts. It’s soft and sweet—not my type—and I can’t get enough of it.

For the past hour, all I’ve been thinking of is pulling her into my arms and burying my nose into her hair—what the actualfuck is wrong with me? I’ve never thought about a girl in this way.

This is all because of Sebastian. That fucker fed me weird shit about feelings, now I can’t think about anything else but seeing her naked—

I’m going to hell.

“…head back.”

I catch a snippet of her sentence. “What?”

She looks nervous. “I think we should head back.”

“To school?” It’s past ten. There’s no point.

“Yeah. We can attend the classes after lunch.”

“Marie said you’re sick. It’d be strange if you show up,” I argue, partially because I don’t want us to leave. It’s nice here with her.

“I don’t want to go home,” she mumbles.

I choose to not say anything about it. I’m sure she didn’t expect me to hear that bit. But It’s stored in my mind for later. “Do you have your bracelets with you?”

“I keep them in my bag.”

---