Page 28 of The Secret Of Us

I didn’t. I can’t guess what might be being said about me. But I also can’t find it in myself to care.

“Go back to your seat, Ryan. You’re embarrassing yourself.” I sit back, crossing one arm across my chest and holding the other up to my face to look at my nails. I need a manicure.

“That’s rich coming from you.” I look up, and he’s standing at his full height again, letting out a sigh. “If you apologise now, I’ll forgive you. We can forget any of this even happened.”

I can feel my brain cells dying one by one.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Of course, I am.”

“I dumped you,” I remind him, because he’s clearly lost the plot somewhere.

“And I can forgive you for that if you say sorry.”

I stare at him, dumbfounded, trying to figure out how he came to this solution.

“You’re ridiculous. Go and sit down.”

“Okay,” he says, shrugging his shoulders.

I only have a split second to think I’ve won the argument before he rounds the desk and pulls out Noah’s chair.

“What are you doing?” I ask him, my patience wearing thinner by the second.

“Apologise and I’ll move.”

“What exactly am I apologising for?” My voice is shrill, and maybe I should lower my volume, but I’m finding it impossible to when he’s acting like this. I can’t believe I ever liked him for even a second. “If you don’t move, I’m telling Mrs. Harper.”

He lets out a huff of laughter but doesn’t get a chance to say anything.

“She told you to move.”

* * *

NOAH

I should have realised something was up when the classroom was quieter than usual as I got closer to it. I assumed I was late, and Mrs. Harper had already started taking attendance so I hurried into the room expecting to see her.

Instead, I saw everyone staring at Izzy and Ryan. He’s in my seat and annoying Izzy and both of those things are bothering me—one more than the other.

Izzy’s saved me countless times over the past few weeks just by being a friend. But I still haven’t forgotten how she stood up for me last week in the gym when Ryan was trying to pick a fight with me.

Whatever emotion she felt when she decided to step in must be similar to what I’m feeling now because every cell in my body is screaming at me to get him away from her. She was upset yesterday, and I don’t want him making it worse for her. I know Izzy can handle herself; she’s headstrong and stubborn in the best way, but right now I want to try to help her.

I march toward them, completely ignoring the way everyone turns their heads to look at me. At least the attention is off Izzy. I only catch the tail end of what she’s saying, but it’s enough for me to interject.

“She told you to move.” The low gravelly tone in my voice surprises me, and I think Izzy, too.

I let my gaze drift to her for a split second, and her eyes are wide. I focus my attention back on Ryan, staring him down, but he’s wearing a cocky smirk.

“Oh, here he is. Want to explain why you’ve been hanging around my girlfriend?”

“I’m not your girlfriend, idiot!” Izzy yells, standing up from her seat.

The entire class is silent, and even though my back is to them all, I can feel their stares focused on the scene we’re creating.

“Get out of my seat.”

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