Page 148 of Overdue I Love You's
I stare at his messy hair, the kindness in his eyes, and wonder how he watched his brother stab his dad, his other one take the fall, and still remain as lovely as he is.
He catches me staring. “What?”
“Nothing,” I shake my head. “Just imagining what you looked like at twenty.”
Azar’s brows furrow. He stares and stares, Sunny says something about the new books I ordered, when his eyes widen. He knows I know.
He looks at Sunny and I shake my head.
At first, I think he’ll walk out because knowing that your closest friend knows about your past without you telling them is terrifying—but he releases a breath. His shoulder hunch down, his whole chest falls with it, it’s relieving. For him. For me.
When he walks by me, “Do you believe him?” Azar asks.
“Always,” I reply.
That satisfies him. “Good.”
Then we move on to talking about other stuff.
“When I saw Dean on the show, I was like what the actual fuck is he doing there?” Sunny takes apart the empty delivery boxes. “Then I saw him looking at you, Nova, and goddamn. I burned up from it.”
“It couldn’t have been that noticeable,” I sit down next to her.
“It was,” Azar sits beside me. “He’s liked you for a while. I’m surprised it took him this long.”
My head whips around to face him. “You didn’t think to tell me your older brother had a crush on me?”
He shrugs with a goofy smile. “It wasn’t my place.”
“Leave him,” Sunny waves. “He likes fate interrupting.”
“And if fate didn’t?” I push.
“ThenI would’ve intervened.”
“Of course,” I roll my eyes.
Azar stands up, “Gotta pee. One sec.” Then dips into the bathroom.
I turn to Sunny. “Tell meAtewasn’t as mad as she seemed.”
“Girl,” she shakes her head. “She was pissed. I had to calm her down.”
“Does she hate me?” I ask. “Don’t tell me she hates me.”
“She’s your sister,” Sunny gives me a pointed look. “She could never hate you.”
“Did she talk to you about the…” I look over to make sure the bathroom door is still shut. “Lawsuit?”
Sunny shakes her head, leaning against the couch. She twirls a coiled curl along her finger. “She told me she’s trying to find a way around it, but she’d have to go to Cornwall and with her due date in a month, it’s hard to travel.”
“Of course,” I say. I’d been in Switzerland for a little over a month. When you get back into the real world, you forget that time doesn’t stay still. “What about my mom and dad?” I’d putMaon mute after that night I spoke to her. Not my brightest moment.
“She called me twice. She apparently needs to tell you something quickly.”
“They don’t know about the lawsuit, right?” It’s not like it matters if they know, but I’ve spent my whole life being the perfect kid. I don’t want them thinking this is my way of seeking attention.
Sunny shrugs. “She didn’t mention it to me.”
