Page 24 of Broken By the Bad Boy

“That was how many hours ago?” he whines.

My heart does that little dance it always does when Ben is being such a needy baby, and I lean a shoulder on the wall.

“I miss you too, babe.”

Ben sighs, and I picture him jutting out his lower lip. It doesn’t matter how often we see. It is never enough for us. I miss Asher too. He hasn’t been at home for a while. With the holidays around the corner, everyone is busy, and Ben’s mom insisted on having him finish the rest of the year from her house.

Most nights, Ben and I speak over the phone until one of us falls asleep. As much as Ben denies it, I don’t think he can fall asleep without Asher in the house. The school’s hottest boy is afraid of sleeping alone. It’s cute, and it’s not. Knowing the whole story makes it harder to tease him about it. He doesn’t get to be a regular teen like some of us. In some ways, he reminds me of Lett. They don’t get to act their age.

“Where are you?” I ask.

We didn’t get to spend any time together after last period. But he sent me a vague text. The ensuing silence tells me I won’t like his answer, and he confirms it by saying, “At the ring. Got a fight in seven minutes.”

He didn’t tell me. Because I might have discouraged him. He has a fight on Saturday, two days from today. And we spent most of yesterday evening training for the All-Rounder. The first rounds start in the second week of January, and our fight is in the fourth week. Coach Greyson believes we can win. I hope so. I need us to win. Winning is no longer about me. It’s also about Ben and his future.

“A fight?” I murmur.

“I was going to tell you,” Ben says.

“Liar. You weren’t.” If he planned to tell me, it would have been after the fight.

Ben chuckles, and my fast-growing anger dissipates. Burnout is real. I worry about him. I look at the fence surrounding the library. Maria is taking too long. I can’t leave because I am her ride home, but I want to be there to support him. He hasn’t invited me to his fights since the match with Jack. I think he’s scared to let me see him lose again. I don’t care. I love him for him, not his wins or losses.

“I was going to tell you after the match,” he confesses.

The guilt intensifies, and my insides twist in a knot. I bring my knees to my chest. I want to do more for Ben, but I don’t know how and also can’t involve my parents. My bracelet catches the light, making the beads with my name appear whiter than they are. He made these, not Asher.

“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you.” Just worried. He mutters his gratitude. “Stay safe for me, okay?”

“Cross my heart,” he mutters, “I will. Love you.”

I blow a kiss to the phone. “Love you too.”

Someone hisses. I jump and hit my head against the wall, cursing my best friend, who doubles over in laughter. Witch. I flip her the middle finger, and she shows two fingers in the peace sign.

How long has she been standing there?

Maria crouches to my level to arrange the small heap of books. I frown at the pile. I might lose interest if I have to study this many notes for something I love so much. But this is Maria. Her goal is to win AGT.

“Guess who I saw inside?”

I am not sure why we are both seated on the floor when my car is parked in front waiting for us. She pokes my knee.

“Daniel,” I answer without thinking, and she rewards me with a glare. “Who?”

She flicks a finger over my forehead and rises to her feet. Offering me her hand, she pulls me up.

“I said guess,” she retorts.

If she’s making a big deal out of it, it must be someone we never expect to see there. “Olivia.” Maria rolls her eyes. If Olivia is at the library, it’s most likely to make out with someone. She hasn’t given me any trouble since Ben claimed to have spoken to her, and I have steered clear off her path. “Who is it?”

Maria sighs. “Noah. He was reading a note.”

Noah? The guy who held me while Olivia harassed me. That same Noah walked out of drama class because Miss Jota told him to play Romeo. I freeze. Maria snaps her fingers in my face, and I shake my head at the thoughts forming. Lett and I have not spoken in days. Remembering a pen pal when you have a boyfriend like Ben is tough. He hasn’t replied to my last letter, and I haven’t bothered him about it yet. Ben, the ring, and drama club take up much of my free time.

The thoughts spinning in my head have me taking hasty steps toward the door. My hand closes around the doorknob, and I dash to the literature section. It must be a coincidence. If Noah is Lett, I am not sure what I will do.

I take a shaky breath before pulling out the novel.

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