Page 75 of We Are the Stars

She brings a hand up to her chest and murmurs, “Swoon.”

“A swoon? Wow. I’ll call ahead for all of our dates from now on.”

“Another ‘more dates’ comment,” she singsongs. “This must be serious.”

Jase says something we can’t quite make out but it causes his friends to break out in hysterics. I can see from my peripheral they’re all looking our way.

“When did you call them? You asked me to dinner like an hour ago.”

“I was already outside your house when I texted you. Funnily enough, I was resting againstourtree.”

“Fucking creep.”

This time Jase’s voice is loud and clear.

I clench my jaw and will myself to control my breathing, which is steadily increasing.

Ignore him, Carsen. He’s not worth it. Don’t ruin this night.

“And then when you didn’t answer my text, you were on the phone, right?”

“Guilty.”

“That’s sweet, in an asshole-ish sort of way.”

“I was hoping for sweet, no asshole.”

She squeezes her thumb and forefinger together. “This close, Wheatley. This close.”

The girl sitting at Jase’s table gasps and announces, “That’s the guy who murdered his mom! Why is she with him? He’s going to kill her too!”

I squeeze my eyes shut and my leg starts to bounce as tension crawls over my body. I curl my hands into fists. I can’t help it. I wish I could, but I’m so jazzed up with anger right now, there’s no stopping it.

A cool hand comes to rest on my arm and I know it’s Elliott.

“Carsen, it’s not worth it.”

It is too.

“Ignore them.”

It’s too fucking hard.

“I’m right here.”

“Yeah, like a lamb at the slaughter,” Jase sneers.

I lose it.

The table between us rattles and our drinks go flying. I’m out of my seat and can feel the warmth of his blood on my hands before I know it. Jase is down on the ground, attempting to swing back at me. His friends scatter out of the way like a bunch of pansy ass pricks, and the girl he was with is screaming—or is that me?

Small hands land on my back and I can hear my name being shouted, but I don’t fucking care.

“I didn’t kill her!” I scream. “I didn’t lay a fucking hand on her, you little shit-faced asshole!Hedid it and I am nothim!”

I feel the hands again and I violently shake them off.

Then I hear the crack and a scream.

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