Page 18 of Hidden Echoes

It doesn’t mean I’m a heartless machine, though. Unfortunately, my heart still has a way of overruling my reason. It’s just that I can’t find a reason to care deeply about anyone. Not now, maybe not ever.

It’s not like I’m actively suppressing my feelings—they leave on their own, like they can’t stand to stick around.

Take Abigail and her obsession with mangas. She holds onto every romanticized aspect of it.

I’ve never loved anyone. Never cared enough to give someone my energy.

And I’m fine with that. I’ve got my art, my manga, and a Spotify playlist full of Blackpink and Travis Scott. What else could I need? Maybe just a way out of this suffocating town, a chance to see what the world is really like.

So I hide. I hate talking. I hate people—they drain me. I hate my mother, my siblings annoy the hell out of me, and there’s this bottomless well of anger sitting in my chest.

But I bury it all. Smile through it. Because the last thing I want is to perpetuate the same cycle of violence I grew up in. Letting the anger out would only feed it.

That’s why I’m here now, hiding with Abby under the bleachers. It’s our usual spot during free periods. She likes it because it’s quiet. I like it because I can nap without hearing the sound of bottles breaking or someone screaming at someone else.

“Are you going out with Gia again today, Green?” I ask, leaning back against the metal frame.

Abby blushes. “No. She said she wanted to talk, so I invited her to watch a movie.”

“Translation: you’re going to fuck,” I tease, earning a glare.

“Stop being a fetishistic pig.”

“Fetishist? Please. I’d totally screw you if I didn’t see you as a sister.” I smirk. “But, hey, I’m not really in my incest phase. Maybe in a few years. And Gia? I’d rather stick my dick in a shredder.”

Abby rolls her eyes. “I don’t understand why you hate Gia so much.”

“Because I have eyes, Abby. She’s using you as a crutch because Connor dumped her ass to sleep around in college. Plus, the girl’s weird. You can’t deny that.”

“She’s just more reserved. I get it.”

“Weird,” I correct with a grin. “But honestly, I’d totally sleep with you if it meant getting you away from her. You’re too good for that mess.”

“That was disturbingly sweet,” she mutters, laughing despite herself.

She thinks I’m joking, so I let her. It’s easier that way.

But then her expression changes. She looks like she wants to tell me something, her brows furrowing.

“Speaking of weird,” she says, “I don’t like our school nurse. Dr. Rachel Wayne? I swear, she keeps staring at you when no one’s looking. I should report her.”

I smirk at her perceptiveness, but there’s no need to worry. Puberty has wrecked whatever appeal I might’ve had in Rachel’s eyes.

She won’t touch me again.

The thought makes my chest tighten, bitter memories bubbling to the surface. Just one more awful thing in a long line of them, courtesy of my mother’s negligence.

“Call him weird again, and I’ll shove this pom-pom up your ass, you slut.” That’s my very angry sister’s voice, coming from up in the stands. Don’t worry, though—Taylor Hill is as feisty as a Chihuahua.

Today, junior high and freshman classes are being held in the main building. Perfect. No naps for me. Godwin Prep is massive, housing both middle and high school students, but the two groups are split between different buildings. It’s not uncommon for us to bump into the younger kids on the way to class, especially seniors like me since our classrooms are closer together.

“I didn’t say he was weird,” the girl stammers, visibly shaken as Taylor grips her cheerleading uniform like she’s about to throw down. “I said he grew out of his weird phase and became hot.”

I stifle a laugh. Taylor’s not exactly a trained fighter—she probably would’ve been if Father were still alive—but that doesn’t stop her from diving headfirst into trouble. Her fighting skills are more like an angry bee’s. She knows the sting could kill her, but her anger always speaks louder.

“Please,” the girl whispers.

I have to admit, my sister has the vibe. Even though she’s not actually dangerous, she’s good at making people believe she is. She belongs to a biker club, after all. Everyone in her year fears her—everyone except Seth Evans. But I doubt there’s anything that guy actually fears.

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