Page 96 of Collided

Clearing my throat, I turn to Sebastian who’s smirking at me. “Not a big deal, huh?”

I shove him and eat my burger.

I check on Hope and she’s eating nuggets. Relief washes over me that she isn't fucking starving herself.

“So how was today? What did you two do?” Marie watches us closely. She looks suspicious as if we visited the unicorns and didn’t invite her.

“We…um…talked,” Hope stutters and refuses to look my way.

Could she be anylessdiscreet?

“About what?” Marie pushes her. I kick her under the table.

“Ouch! Sebastian.” She winces.

He raises his hands. “I didn’t do it.”

Marie looks at me and she leans over the table. “Something you wanna share with us?”

“Not with you, Blondie,” I say in a cool tone.

She turns toward the one person who won’t lie to her. “What about you, Hope?”

Hope’s eyes widen. “Um, what?”

Marie folds her arms and puts on her interrogation face. “Where were you two?”

As much as I love to see her growth in confidence, in instances like these I hate it. She can be a real pain in the ass when it comes to matters revolving around the two of us—Sebastian and I—and now Hope too.

When Marie narrows her eyes, Hope cracks under the pressure. “We were on the hill talking about cigarettes, panic attacks, being friends, and bracelets.”

A moment of silence stretches between the four of us before the chaos begins.

“Bracelets!” Sebastian and Marie speak at the same time.

“Um…” Hope gives me a shy smile and I glare at her.

“Heath and bracelets. What? How?” Marie asks.

“Panic attacks and cigarettes?” Sebastian jumps in without skipping a beat.

“Here’s your food. Enjoy.” The waitress puts a pause on the enthusiastic couple who can’t wait to get to the bottom of this.

The two of them watch Hope and me. I don’t blame her for cracking under pressure. She’s got a long way to go with these two.

Marie points at the two of us. “You both start talking.”

Hope caves in, while I sit back and watch.

What a fucking mess.

21

Hope

“I can’t believe it. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to skip school?” Marie asks.

We’re sitting in her car, eating ice cream and watching the sunset in an empty parking lot. I’ve told her about how I skipped school with Heath, but notwhy.I wouldn’t be able to share that. I had a panic attack in the middle of the street. Luckily there weren’t many people around, otherwise, they’d think I’m a lunatic. It was embarrassing.

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