“Like hell you’re not.” He exhales.
“I’m not. I’m just listening to you, Will. Staying away from you. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
He moves closer.
Zip it, heart.
“It should be.” He closes in on me until I have no choice but to crane my neck to look at him. “But… fuck, Kass, I… Tell me why it’s the last thing I want.”
His hand lifts to my cheek.
Shivers.
“That’s not what you were saying last week.” I steer clear of his hold, ghosting my wretched heart’s desperate pleas.
Five more seconds, it begs.
“What the hell was I supposed to do? Tell me. We were on Kendrick’s bed. I just… panicked.”
I cringe at the reminder.
I still can’t believe I did that.
Must’ve washed his sheets like five hundred times afterward.
“I know, I feel awful about it, and I’m glad you stopped it, but… You hurt me, Will. Bad. I can’t keep up with you anymore. One second you’re rejecting me, and the next you’re blowing up my phone. I’m just trying to listen to y—”
He cages me against my desk in one move, cupping my face, with both hands this time, and stealing my breath.
“Don’t.” He sounds pained. “Don’t fucking listen to me if it means you’re not going to be in my life anymore.”
Kass, be strong.
“No, you were right. We can’t be friends. And we can’t be together. So, I guess…” I choke. “I guess we can’t be anything.”
He releases me instantly, a million thoughts, questions, and possibilities racing in his eyes. I don’t think he’s hearing me.
He proves me right by saying, “Is this because of Luke?”
“What? That’s not what this is abo—”
“Is it because of Luke, yes or no?”
Maybe if I tell him what he wants to hear…
Maybe.
“So what if it is?” I lie my ass off.
His mouth falls open.
His eyes dip to the floor.
“Got it.”
Then he walks out.
Kassidy