Just when I’m stepping away, she looks to the door, and her eyes meet mine. There’s never been more distance between us, and it’s not just because she’s on the other side of the room.
I want to give her what she needs, and maybe that is more time away from me, but at some point, the confrontation is going to happen. Celeste can run, but she can’t hide.
Chapter Three
Celeste
It’s been four days, and I still can’t get the look on Apollo’s face out of my mind. When he walked into the library, I was sure my time was up. Until his eyes locked with mine, and I realized something changed. He stared at me for a long moment and then turned and left. Since then, he hasn’t tried to talk to me again. Well, at least not in person.
Since I’ve gotten my new phone working, he texts me a few times a day. It’s always simple things like good morning and good night. A few times he said he missed me.
“I think you should talk to him,” Emerson says, stealing a fry off of my plate. It’s after school on Friday so we decided to go to the diner and hang out while we went over more of the prom details. I had no idea how much went into creating an event like this, but I’m quickly learning.
“He hasn't tried to talk to me again.”
“Yeah, but he’s always around.” Emerson looks up at me as he takes a long drink of his milkshake.
This is true. He might not be coming up to me, but he was never far from me either. Which is making it impossible for me to forget about him. Not that I could anyway. I can’t even go to one class without passing him in the hallway. Gym was brutal because I could feel his eyes on me the whole time.
“He’s giving you space to some degree. It’s what you wanted.”
It was what I wanted. Now I’m not so sure. It feels like I want to have it out with him and to tell him he’s a jerk and that he broke my heart.
“He might be moving on.”
Emerson rolls his eyes at me. I’d given him somewhat of the run-down of what went on between me and Apollo. It felt nice to get it all off my chest and have someone else's opinion. He didn’t judge me either. He actually thinks my mom is pretty cool now, which is ridiculous.
“He’s walking around like an injured puppy. I think you misunderstood what he was saying that night.”
“How do I misunderstand him thinking I tried to trap him with a pregnancy?” I say under my breath so no one else can hear me. I don’t need that rumor getting around.
“It was a stupid thing to say. You don’t have to trap Apollo. He’s already yours.”
“You think he’ll be at the party tonight?”
“If he knows you’re going to be there, I’m sure. Did you want to go?”
I shrug. I shouldn’t want to go, but I want to see him. Even if it’s at a distance. “Heads up,” Emerson mumbles, making me tense. I know it can't be Apollo because he has practice and then a race today. It seems he’s back to his normal routine.
Amber comes to a stop at our table. Lovely.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Emerson says to her. She ignores him as she turns her attention on me.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t come to the party.” She folds her arms under her chest, pushing her boobs up. They almost fall out of the low-cut top. Too bad she’s not as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside.
I don’t understand this girl's utter dislike of me. I know it’s over Apollo, but I didn’t steal him from her. They were never a thing. I suppose she’s crazy enough to have made it up in her head.
“We’ll go wherever the hell we want,” Emerson says, giving Amber a disgusted glare.
“If you want to be pathetic, then sure, go. Everyone knows you and Apollo are over. You’d only be there to try and get him back.”
Is that what everyone thinks? That Apollo dumped me? I suppose in a way he did. He had to know the things he accused me of would end anything that we had.
“Your obsession with Apollo is what’s pathetic around here,” I say before I turn my attention away from her and reach for another fry. I’m trying to dismiss her, but she just won’t go.
Instead, she slams her hand down on the table, drawing the attention of everyone in the diner.
“What's pathetic is you thinking you fit in here,” she sneers. “You’re only a toy to him. His father would never allow Apollo to end up with someone like you. You’re classless.”