Page 25 of Lying Hearts

Flustered, he looks at my hand on his and raises his eyes to meet mine. His eyelashes are so long, I want to reach up with my cheek and brush them against it to see if they tickle. I’m so close to him I can smell his scent. I take a discreet sniff and pull my hand back as he narrows his eyes in thought.

“Were you crying?” he asks, glancing to my cheeks.

Mortified, I scrub away tears and mascara and rapidly shake my head. “Me? No way. No. Crying? Don’t be stupid.”

He doesn’t believe me. But he nods anyway. “And I guess you didn’t fall into a wood chipper, either.”

I squint at him, trying to understand his meaning. My hand flies to my hair as I realize he means the black crow’s nest I used to call my hair. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

He grins, eyes dancing with amusement, dazzling me right out of my body. I feel like I’m rising up and watching us from up above, so surreal to see him. Like I’m astral-projecting. “Corinne home?”

I slam back into my skin with all the aches to prove it. He came to see her. I didn’t think to wonder why he’s here; I was just so happy that he was.

So he wants to see her again, and came all the way over to do it.

Great. Yay them.

Resolved to the reality of Corinne and Brendan dating, I turn away. “Yeah. She’s inside. See ya.”

The pain in my heart hurts so bad I can’t think. I pull my suitcase past him and adjust the heavy backpack on my shoulder. I wish someone would lift me up and take me forward to a time where I no longer remember this. But I’m not that lucky. Chugging my baggage down the stairs, I sneak one more look at him. He’s standing on my welcome mat looking over his shoulder at me, frowning. He hates me. And now, I hate him, too.

“Bye.” I mutter, and vanish out of sight. Forever.