Page 62 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
“How many times do I have to tell you there most definitelyissomething there?”
I glare at her. But she just holds my gaze, not wavering once.
Eventually, I pull my eyes away and glare at my shoes, as though they’re responsible for my current predicament. The only sound in the room is my huffing and puffing.
“Why is it such a big deal if it’s true?” Phoenix asks in a soft tone.
“It’s not.”
“You’re trying so hard to fight it. Why? Eric’s a good guy. Not like his jerk of a brother.”
I keep my gaze on my shoes.
“Katie?”
With a sigh, I slowly look at her. “You know why.”
She studies me closely. “Is this because of your mom?” she asks gently.
I stare back down at my shoes. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She’s quiet for a bit, before saying, “She’d want you to be happy, Kates. She’d want you to find love.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as pain engulfs every part of me.
Phoenix wraps an arm around me, pulling me close to her. “I know it’s hard,” she says. “I mean, no, I’m not going to pretendI know what you’re going through. Because I can’t possibly understand. But I get that you’re in pain. That it’s hard for you to open your heart to someone because you don’t want to get hurt. But you’ve been living the past two months like a shadow. You’re sad all the time—well, besides for when you do the musical and the band. Your mother wouldn’t want you to go through life like this.”
I gently pry myself out of her arm and turn around, tears welling up in my eyes and splashing down so fast it’s like a dam burst open.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Katie,” she says as she hugs me from behind. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“I want you to live your life to the fullest. Because you’re so amazing.”
“Stop.”
“No, I mean it. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”
I scoff lightly. “And you think Eric Palmer will make me happy?”
“I don’t know, but why not? How will you know what could be if you don’t take a risk? I mean, look at me. I got burned by that jerk, and it sucks really bad. But I don’t want that one incident to ruin my life. Of course that’s nothing compared to what you’ve been through. I’m just trying to show you that life sucks sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you should shut down. Because you’ll miss out on something wonderful.”
I slowly turn around to face her. “You think Eric likes me?”
“Of course! He wouldn’t have made out with you like that if he didn’t like you.”
“Maybe he was just caught up in the scene.”
She gives me a look.
I hold up my hands. “It’s possible.”
She shakes her head.
I close her in my arms. “Thanks for the talk, Phoenix. You always know the right things to say.”
“Duh, I’m amazing.”
