Page 61 of Collided

“Hope,” he whispers painfully.

I watch his throat move incredibly slowly. The movement does something to me.

It’s then I feel him against my thigh.

“I—sorry.” I get off him, rip the book out of his hold, and hug it to my heaving chest.

Oh my God. I… was that…did he…

I can’t think at all.

Heath sits up and opens his legs. Leaning over on his knees he rests his elbows on them. He then hangs his head low and closes his eyes in pain.

He must have been when I was sitting on top of him or perhaps… My body turns warm.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine. Give me a fucking minute,” he grits out.

During that time, I arrange my textbooks on my study table and then put all my notes in the folder. Marie loves them since they proved to be quite helpful in the recent test. She didn’t ask me, but I’ll give them to her anyway.

Five minutes later, he finally speaks. “What’s that?”

I find him pointing to the stuff I bought for making bracelets. “Something.”

“Something?”

I sit next to him on the bed, with my knees drawn up to my chest. I put my chin on them to make myself small. “I’m…” my voice flatters.

It’s hard for me to open up when I’ve been alone all my life. I don’t know how to share things and tell someone about my interests, hobbies, or anything really.

When you’re alone for a long time, it becomes a permanent thing. Almost like a scar that’ll never go away.

His stare doesn’t move away from my face. He’s waiting for me to tell him even if it takes me ages.

I take a deep breath. “I’m making bracelets to sell them because I need the money.”

It’s not an unknown fact that Heath is rich. The car he drives looks expensive. Also, he lives uptown.

His eyebrows pinch. “You know how to make them?”

I nod. “When I was little, I used to make them. They're not that hard to make, to be honest.”

He studies the supplies with new interest. I grow nervous around his quiet thoughts. Even his face is blank. I can't see what he’s thinking and it’s driving me crazy.

My overthinking brain starts to question whether I did the right thing by telling him. I wasn't even planning on telling Marie. But I’ve told Heath.

I just got this feeling that I can tell him about this.

When he doesn't say anything, I rush out. “But I can't do any of it. The back camera of my phone is broken. I tried with the front camera but it's hard to take pictures with it.”

It’s been a real hassle.

When he doesn’t say anything, I grow even more nervous. I stand up to put away things in some safe corner when Heath grabs my hand. Warmth shoots up my arm and pours directly into my heart.

A cluster of fireworks explodes when he makes me sit next to him. I’m reeling from what just happened when he says, “You can use my phone.”

What?

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