Page 65 of Love Unwritten
Willow’s mouth falls open. “How do you know that?”
He shakes his phone. “The internet.”
I drop onto the worn leather sofa with a huff. “Okay, but there’s no guarantee I can successfully do that all again.”
Willow’s eyes soften. “You’ll never know unless you try.”
“I—”
Lorenzo’s smile comes off as rehearsed and never reaches his cold, dead eyes. “Do you want my opinion?”
Willow and I both say no at the same time, which earns us a scowl.
“I’m trying to be nice,” he says with a flat tone that makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
My nose twitches. “Well, please stop. It’s not natural coming from you.”
I haven’t known Lorenzo for long, but I know he doesn’t dish out advice because he’s a nice guy. He barely tolerates Willow and me, even going out of his way to remind us that we aren’t friends, although he could’ve fooled me with how much he hangs out around here.
At first, I was worried he might be interested in Willow, but it didn’t take me long to realize their dynamic is far from romantic. He treats her like an annoying little sister, and she calls him her long-lost fourth brother.
Lorenzo is clearly lonely and looking for companionship, and it’s absolutely eating him up inside to know he found it with us.
His eyes narrow. “You just want me to shut up because Willow is too nice to call you out on your bullshit.”
It feels like he struck me. “Excuse me?”
“I think saying no to Cole is easy. Probably the easiest thing you’ve ever done besides running away from LA, if we’re being honest.”
Willow’s eyes widen. “Whoa. Let’s not jump to—”
I interrupt her by telling him, “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Hate to break it to you, but you’re not as complex and layered as you make yourself out to be, although you artistic types sure love to portray yourselves like that.” He picks a piece of invisible lint off his trousers and flicks it away. “Makes for better music, I assume.”
My blood boils beneath my skin. “You’re such an asshole.”
“I prefer that over being a coward.”
I jump to my feet and point a finger in his direction. “I am not a coward.”
“Then why did you tell him no?”
I throw my hands up in exasperation. “Because I’m scared!”
He makes a satisfied sound and returns to tapping his phone screen, pretending he didn’t just antagonize me into admitting the truth aloud.
As much as I hate Lorenzo for pushing me the way he did, he is right. I am a coward. A coward who is terrified of putting herself out there and getting burned again.
“It’s okay to be afraid.” Willow’s soft voice penetrates the chill surrounding me. “After Darius took advantage of you—no, after he assaulted you—you have every right to be scared of returning to that scene.”
Lorenzo’s nostrils flare. “He did what?”
“We’re not talking about that,” I say with a strong tone, leaving no room for discussion.
Willow silently mouths sorry before speaking. “Cole seems like a good guy.”
My head hangs. “So did Darius.”