Page 105 of Heartless Beloved

It’s like a cold bucket over my burning skin. I take a step back. “Family dinner?”

“My mom called, and the whole family is at hers right now. It doesn’t happen often anymore, so she wants me to come over.”

“Of course. I completely understand. I’ll head home.”

He shakes his head. “Come with me.”

I pause. Blinking up at him. “Come with you?”

“Yeah.”

“To your family dinner.”

“Yeah.”

“With your mom.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, Alex. I want you to meet her. She’s a great woman. Like you.”

“Isn’t that…early? And for heaven’s sake, if I’m going to meet your mom, can I at least get a smile?”

The corner of his lips tips up. Same as usual. Not a genuine smile. “No,” he answers sternly. “And it’s not early. We do things whenever we want, you and me. Just as long as it’s that. You. And me.”

I’m the one who breaks into a dumb smile. “Okay,” I whisper, barely believing it. “I’ll come with you.”

I hug him again, pressing my ear against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. I need to know how fast it beats. I need to know if we’re in sync because of the joy and excitement at this moment.

And we are.

I smile to myself as I close my eyes. “Fearless.”

17

XI

Flatline – 5 Seconds of Summer

“Mama,” I call out as I open the door holding Alex’s hand. I just spent a whole drive reassuring her that no one would care that she was wearing a hoodie and her uniform skirt and that she didn’t have to bring a present.

Still, she made me drive down to a chocolate shop on the south bank and back to the North Shore so she could bring my family boxes of expensive chocolate. The kind none of us have ever seen in our lives.

“Ziad!” my mother’s voice resonates from the kitchen, above everyone else’s voices in the living room, and all the way to the doorway. “Come,weldi. Come to the kitchen!”

But before we can make it there, a small form jumps me, forcing me to let go of Alex.

“For fuck’s sake,” I grunt, taking a step back to balance myself as I wrap my arms around Billie. “You’re so heavy.”

“I missed you, too,” she smiles brightly as we separate. Her eyes go to Alex, to her uniform, and she bursts into uncontrollable laughter.

“A Stoneview girl. Of course!” she hiccups.

“Shut the fuck up,” I growl, ready to kick her. “Alex, this is my stepsister, Billie. Billie, meet mygirlfriend,Alex.” I feel the need to tell her that despite being from Stoneview, Alex is more than a quick fuck.

“Nice to meet you,” Alex smiles politely, extending her hand. I can hear the shyness in her tone despite trying to keep a civil front. I push her hand back down. Taking it in mine. “Ignore her. She thinks she knows me.”

“By heart,” Billie says before wiping her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Alex. I hope you’re one of the nice ones.”

“Nice ones?” she asks me as I drag her away.

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