Page 56 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
I grit my teeth. “Because I do.”
Her eyes are still wide and confused as she lowers herself next to me. “Who? And why?”
I squeeze my arms on my chest. It’s really hard for me not to march up to my room and roast the jerk on my live stream. Roast him so bad he wouldn’t be able to show his face at school, or anywhere.
But as much as I want tohurthim, I also don’t. I mean, I hate him more than I hate all the suffering in this world, but I’m not going to stoop to his level.
Katie’s hand springs to my shoulder. “Phoenix, calm down.”
I don’t realize I’m gripping a couch cushion so tightly it might pop.
“Tell me what’s going on,” she insists.
The events from a few minutes ago play around in my head. I was so excited for whatever Liam had to show me, but I never expected that. I’m not angry anymore, I’menraged.
Katie tugs on my arm. “Phoenix.”
I meet her gaze, clenching my teeth again. “That jerk Ethan,” I nearly spit.
“What? I thought you guys were okay.”
I scowl so hard my eyebrows nearly reach my nose. And my mouth is twisted so much I feel like a cartoon character. “No way in heck. He and I willneverbe okay.”
She gives me a confused and slightly worried look. I know this is so unlike me, but I’ve never been this mad before. I’m so ugh! I don’t even know how to contain all these negative emotions inside me.
“Tell me what’s going on before you explode.”
That might be a good idea because if I don’t let this anger out, I really might explode. “Liam wanted to give me a surprise. He told me to go outside. I thought maybe he sent me a package or something. But nope, that wasn’t it.”
She lifts a brow.
I grit my teeth again. Thinking about it just fuels my rage. “Ethan was out there.”
“Ethan...?”
“He told me he’s Liam.”
Her jaw drops.
“Yep,” I say. “Apparently I’m such an idiot because I couldn’t tell that my online friend was that jerk from next door.”
She shifts closer to me until her face is in mine. “Phoenix, you couldn’t have known it was him. So many people pretend to be others online.”
She’s right, I know that. But it doesn’t make me feel better. How could the nicest guy I ever met be the jerk I can’t stand?
“Did he tell you why he did it?” Katie asks.
I roll my eyes. “Does a shark need a reason for chomping fish? Nope. It’s in its DNA. Same way being a jerk is in Eric’s brother’s DNA.”
Katie doesn’t say anything, and we sit in silence. I keep trying to push it all out of my head, but it’s impossible. I mean, I’m not saying I was head over heels for Liam, but I did kind of envision my relationship with him reaching the next level.
But no, that’s not going to happen because Liam doesn’t exist.
Katie stretches her arm over mine, hugging me close to her chest. “I wish I knew what to say.”
I want to shrug, but my shoulders are stiff. “Thanks, but whatever. It’s not like I even liked the guy.”
Katie doesn’t say anything.
