Page 78 of Collided

“Do you need anything?” he asks.

“No, thank you.” I expect him to leave me alone, but he lingers in the doorway and watches me curiously. His black eyes feel like they can see through me. “I’m good. You don’t need to stand there.”

He doesn’t look away. “I wanted to ask you something if you don’t mind.”

I gulp. “Sure.”

“Do you and sir share classes?”

“Two classes.”

“Are you hisfriend?” There’s an edge to his voice that I can’t shake off.

“Not really. We’re in the same friend group.”

The man steps further into the room and sucks the air. “You know his friends?”

“Yes. I know Marie and Sebastian. Marie is my friend,” I explain, hoping he’ll step back and leave me alone.

The man creeps me out with his intelligent eyes, wrinkled face, and straight posture. “May I ask—”

“Leave her alone, Derek.” A booming voice carries through the room as Heath comes in. “I’ll let you know if we need anything.” Then his stare falls on me, checking to make sure I’m okay before settling on my tote bag. My backpack was filled with textbooks and notes. It was getting late, so I opted for the second option. “Let’s go up to my room.”

All the way I can feel a steady gaze at the back of my head drilling holes. It’s clear Derek does not like me. He might even kill me and make it look like an accident.

I’m being delusional.

Once inside Heath’s room, I turn to him. He looks at me with the same cold and tense features.

“I wanted to take a look at the messages.” I fidget with my fingers and refuse to meet his eyes.

“There’s my phone. You know the password.” He gestures to the nightstand.

I get his phone and quickly open my account. I see a few notifications, but no messages.

Disappointment hits me like a gust of wind that knocks away my dreams and wishes.

“Nothing?” Heath is right behind me.

I put down his phone. “No.”

“You haven’t posted in two days. It’s important to be consistent.”

I bite my lower lip. “Maybe it’s not going to work.”

Heath eliminates the little distance between us. His intense gaze burns my face as I look down at the floor. I can’t meet his stare when I want to hide away and roll in my failure.

“It’s going to work as long as you want to do it,” he tells me softly.

“I want to but—”

“Then don’t make excuses.”

Anger flares through me. I lift my head. “I’m not making excuses.”

“It sure looks like it.”

Another new thing I’ve learned about Heath is that he loves to get on my nerves, bringing out a side that no one has brought out before.

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