Page 38 of Come Break My Heart Again

My eyes fall to the red cup she’s holding. “Thought you didn’t drink.”

“Water’s a precious resource. I’m doing my part to help save the planet.”

I snort as I fish a lighter out of my pocket and ignite the end of the cigarette. “What are you doing here?”

“Maddie and I have been friends since first grade. What areyoudoing here?”

“I meant, hiding on a balcony. Your adoring subjects must be missing you.”

She straightens, walking over toward me. I tense, tracking the shrinking distance between us.

My resentment toward Phoenix grows with each of her steps. This night has gone totally off the rails. I didn’t want to talk to Elle like this, us alone. Nothing good can come from closer proximity. I’m having a hard enough time getting her out of my head already.

“Only the ones who weren’t busy welcoming you back to town in the study.”

I raise both eyebrows as Elle rests an elbow on the railing and glances down.

“Do you think I could make it into the pool from here?” she asks.

I follow her gaze. It’s thirty feet, maybe more. “You still like to consider dumb shit, huh?”

“I do more thanconsider, Ry.”

She’s not touching me. She’s not even looking at me. Yet I’m flooded with everything I should have felt when Maddie was grinding on my lap, instantly hard the second she calls meRy.

“I’m dumb shit?” I ask.

Elle says nothing. She just stares down with a calculating expression, like she’s actually considering jumping. The thought terrifies me. Elle in danger affects me like nothing else. I know she’s smart and strong and capable of taking care of herself. Somehow, that scares me even more. Because I know she doesn’t damage easily.

Ihurt her. She let me in, let me hurt her, and I hate myself for that.

“I know the timing sucked. Iamsorry.”

“Did you hook up with Maddie?”

She’s still looking down, not at me, so I can’t read her face. Can’t tell if she cares about the answer.

“How did you even?—”

Elle tugs her phone out of her back pocket and hands it to me. I try to keep my eyes off her ass, but I do a shitty job of it. The screen is covered with dozens of message notifications. Some names I recognize. Others I don’t. A play-by-play of everything happening downstairs.

A new text from Maddie pops up as I’m staring at Elle’s phone, but I’m more focused on something else. “Nice background.”

She takes the phone back from me without looking this way. But the small section of her cheek I can see in the dim light appears pinker. “I’ll hear about it whether you tell me or not. I’m just?—”

“Nothing happened.”

“Right. Rich girls aren’t your type.”

Her grip on the cup is loose enough for me to lift it out of her hand. I sip, making a face at the sour burn.

“Jesus. Want any cranberry juice with your vodka?”

“I like it.”

“Sure. I’d need to get that drunk to date Hathaway too.”

Elle reaches out to grab her cup back. She fists it from the bottom, making sure our fingers don’t brush. “You’ve been gossiping about me, huh?”

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