CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER TWO
Something Has Changed
There were three things I knew about Kian Hale.
One, he hated tomatoes.
Not disliked. Hated.
If a single slice of tomato touched his burger, he would stare at it like the restaurant had personally betrayed him.
Two, he could never admit when he was wrong.
Even if you showed him proof, screenshots, eyewitnesses and a signed confession, Kian would somehow find a way to say, “Okay, but technically—”
And three, he was terrible at hiding when something bothered him.
Which was why, when I walked into school on Monday morning and found him leaning against my locker with his arms crossed, I immediately knew something was wrong.
I stopped a few steps away.
“What did I do?”
Kian looked up from his phone.
“Good morning to you too.”
“You’re standing in front of my locker.”
“So?”
“You only do that when you want something or when I’ve annoyed you.”
“That’s not true.”
I raised an eyebrow.
He stared at me.
I stared back.
He lasted approximately four seconds.
“Fine.”
I smiled. “What did I do?”
“Nothing.”
“Kian.”
“Amara.”
I narrowed my eyes.
He copied me.
Sometimes I genuinely wondered why I had stayed friends with this boy for so long.
Probably because getting rid of him would require effort.
“Move.”
“No.”
“My books are in there.”
“Sounds like a personal problem.”
“Kian.”
He grinned.
There.
That was more like him.
I shoved his shoulder, and he finally stepped aside.
“Violence before eight in the morning,” he said. “Very classy.”
“You were blocking my locker.”
“You could’ve asked nicely.”
“I did.”
“You said ‘move.’”
“Exactly. Nicely.”
He laughed under his breath while I opened my locker.
I started pulling out the books I needed for first period, but I could still feel him standing beside me.
Not speaking.
Which was weird.
Kian always spoke.
Half the time, I wished he wouldn’t.
I glanced at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring at me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You literally are.”
“I was looking at your hair.”
“My hair?”
“Yeah.”
My hand immediately went to it.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why were you looking at it?”
He shrugged. “Looks nice.”
I froze.
Slowly, I turned towards him.
Kian had already looked away.
“Did you just compliment me?”
His head snapped back. “Don’t make it weird.”
“Oh my God.”
“Amara.”
“Kian Hale complimented me.”
“I take it back.”
“Nope. Too late.”
“I said your hair looked nice. I didn’t propose.”
“Still. This is huge.”
He rolled his eyes.
I slammed my locker shut and followed him down the hallway.
“You feeling okay?”
“Perfectly.”
“Did you hit your head?”
“No.”
“Are you dying?”
“Hopefully soon if you keep talking.”
I laughed.
He bumped his shoulder against mine.
And just like that, everything felt normal again.
At least, I thought it did.
Kian and I had been friends for so long that I couldn’t remember the exact moment we became friends.
There wasn’t some dramatic story behind it.
No childhood promise.
No movie-like moment where he defended me from a bully and we became inseparable.
We just… happened.
One day we were two kids who happened to sit beside each other in class.
Then we were sharing snacks.
Then we were arguing about cartoons.
Then we were calling each other after school.
Then suddenly years had passed, and Kian knew everything about me.
He knew I couldn’t sleep without having at least one blanket, even when it was ridiculously hot.
He knew I always read the last sentence of a book before starting it.
He knew I hated people touching my food but somehow still stole from my plate every chance he got.
He knew about every crush I’d ever had.
Every boyfriend.
Every breakup.
Every embarrassing message I’d sent and immediately regretted.
And I knew the same about him.
Including his exes.
Unfortunately.
There had been enough of them.
Which was exactly why the idea of Kian and me ever being anything other than friends had always been ridiculous.
He was Kian.
My Kian.
Not my Kian in a romantic way.
Just…
Kian.
The person who had seen me wearing mismatched socks and an oversized hoodie while crying because my favourite character died.
The person who once threw up after eating six doughnuts because I dared him to.
The person who had heard me snore.
There was no romance there.
Absolutely none.
At least that was what I had always believed.
By lunch, Kian had returned to his usual irritating self.
He stole three of my fries.
“Stop.”
“Sharing is caring.”
“I don’t care about you.”
“That’s hurtful.”
“Give it back.”
He stared at the fry already halfway inside his mouth.
“How?”
“I don’t know. Figure it out.”
He ate it.
I kicked him underneath the table.
“Ow!”
“Good.”
Our friends barely looked up.
They were used to us.
Maya sat opposite me, scrolling through her phone while Noah and Elias argued about football.
Kian reached for another fry.
I slapped his hand.
He tried again.
I slapped it harder.
“You have food,” I said.
“Yours tastes better.”
“They’re literally from the same place.”
“It’s about the experience.”
“What experience?”
“Stealing yours.”
I stared at him.
He smiled innocently.
I hated him.
Not really.
But sometimes, very nearly.
“Amara.”
I looked up.
A boy stood beside our table.
It took me a second to recognise him.
“Lucas?”
He smiled.
Lucas Reid.
We had chemistry together, although we barely spoke outside class.
He was tall, with dark curls that always looked slightly messy, and he had the kind of smile that made you immediately understand why half the girls in our year knew who he was.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I was wondering if you understood what Mr Bennett was talking about today.”
I laughed. “Not even slightly.”
“Okay, good. Thought I was the only one.”
“Nope. I stopped understanding after the first equation.”
“Same.”
He laughed.
I smiled.
And then I noticed something.
Kian had stopped eating.
Lucas continued, “I was thinking maybe we could figure out the assignment together after school?”
“Today?”
“Yeah. If you’re free.”
I thought about it.
“I should be.”
“Cool.”
Lucas smiled again.
“Library?”
“Sure.”
“Four?”
“Yeah.”
“Perfect.”
He nodded towards the others before walking away.
I turned back to my food.
Maya was staring at me.
“What?”
Her smile grew.
“Oh, nothing.”
“Maya.”
“Nothing.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Noah laughed.
Elias suddenly looked very interested in his drink.
I looked at Kian.
He was staring down at his tray.
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
There it was.
That word.
Fine.
The word people used when they were absolutely not fine.
“What?”
He looked at me.
“What what?”
“You’re doing the thing.”
“What thing?”
“The weird quiet thing.”
“Maybe I don’t feel like talking.”
“You always feel like talking.”
“Maybe I’m growing as a person.”
I laughed.
“Impossible.”
He didn’t laugh back.
Okay.
Weird.
I stole one of his fries.
Normally, this would have started a war.
He didn’t even react.
Now I was concerned.
I leaned closer.
“Seriously. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re being weird.”
“I’m literally sitting here.”
“Yes. Weirdly.”
His jaw tightened slightly.
Then his eyes flicked towards where Lucas had gone.
It was quick.
Barely noticeable.
But I noticed.
I always noticed things about Kian.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“You don’t like Lucas?”
“I don’t know him.”
“Then why did you look at him like he personally offended your ancestors?”
Kian finally looked at me.
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Amara.”
“Kian.”
He sighed.
“I’m just wondering why he’s suddenly asking you to study.”
I blinked.
“Because we have the same assignment?”
“He has friends.”
“So?”
“So he could study with them.”
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Maya suddenly became extremely interested in her phone again.
I could practically feel her listening.
“Maybe he thinks I’m smarter than his friends.”
Kian snorted.
I gasped.
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it again.”
“I said nothing.”
“You laughed.”
“Can’t prove it.”
I kicked him again.
This time, he caught my ankle between his shoes before I could pull away.
“Kian!”
“Stop attacking me.”
“Let go.”
“Promise you’ll stop.”
“No.”
“Then I’m not letting go.”
I tried pulling my foot back.
He tightened his hold.
“You are so annoying.”
“And yet you keep coming back.”
“Because nobody else tolerates you.”
His smile returned.
But when I glanced towards Lucas again, I noticed Kian’s did not reach his eyes.
At four, I was sitting in the library with Lucas.
And surprisingly, we were actually studying.
For the first twenty minutes, anyway.
After that, chemistry became less important.
“So you’ve known Kian forever?” Lucas asked.
I looked up from my notebook.
“Pretty much.”
“You two seem close.”
“We are.”
“Like… really close.”
I laughed.
“Is that a question?”
“Maybe.”
I put my pen down.
“Just ask.”
Lucas hesitated.
Then he smiled.
“Have you two ever dated?”
I nearly choked.
“What?”
He laughed.
“Okay, that’s definitely a no.”
“Me and Kian?”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes!”
“Why are you acting like that’s impossible?”
“Because it’s Kian.”
“That doesn’t explain anything.”
“It explains everything.”
Lucas leaned back.
“Not to me.”
I sighed.
“Kian is my best friend.”
“And?”
“And that’s it.”
“You’ve never thought about it?”
“No.”
The answer came automatically.
Too automatically.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“Nope,” I repeated.
“Okay.”
He looked amused.
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
“Lucas.”
“I just thought you two had something going on.”
“We don’t.”
“Good.”
I paused.
Good?
Before I could ask what he meant, my phone buzzed.
KIAN:Are you still there?
I stared at the message.
AMARA:Where else would I be?
The typing bubble appeared immediately.
KIAN:You’ve been there for ages.
I looked at the time.
It had been forty-seven minutes.
AMARA:It hasn’t even been an hour 😭
KIAN:Same thing.
AMARA:No it isn’t???
KIAN:When are you leaving?
I frowned.
AMARA:Why are you interrogating me 😭
No response.
I waited.
Nothing.
Lucas leaned forward.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Kian’s being weird.”
“When isn’t he?”
I laughed.
My phone buzzed again.
KIAN:Want me to pick you up?
I blinked.
AMARA:You’re at football practice.
KIAN:Finished early.
That was strange.
Practice didn’t end for another forty minutes.
AMARA:Why?
KIAN:Because I’m nice.
I laughed out loud.
Lucas looked at me.
“What’s funny?”
“Kian just called himself nice.”
“Ah. A comedian.”
I typed back.
AMARA:I’ll walk.
KIAN:It’s going to rain.
I looked outside.
The sky was completely clear.
AMARA:There is literally not one cloud outside.
Three dots.
Gone.
Three dots again.
Gone.
Then finally:
KIAN:Weather changes.
I stared at the screen.
What was wrong with him today?
AMARA:I’m fine 😭 go home
KIAN:Fine.
There it was again.
Fine.
I put my phone face down.
Lucas smiled.
“He checks on you a lot.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Does he do that with everyone?”
I opened my mouth.
Then stopped.
Did he?
I didn’t know.
Probably.
Kian was protective of his friends.
That was normal.
“He’s just annoying,” I said.
Lucas smiled.
“If you say so.”
Kian was waiting outside the library.
Of course he was.
I walked through the doors and stopped.
He was leaning against his car, staring at his phone.
I looked up at the sky.
Still no rain.
I walked towards him.
“You’re unbelievable.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“You said you were going home.”
“No, you told me to go home.”
“Same thing.”
“Not really.”
I crossed my arms.
“What are you doing here?”
“Picking you up.”
“I said I’d walk.”
“And I ignored you.”
“Clearly.”
Lucas came out behind me.
“Hey.”
Kian’s expression changed so quickly I almost laughed.
Not angry.
Exactly.
Just…
Less friendly.
“Hey.”
Lucas looked at me.
“See you tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Thanks for helping.”
“Pretty sure you helped me more.”
“Debatable.”
He smiled.
“Night, Amara.”
“Night.”
Lucas walked away.
I turned back to Kian.
He was watching him.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“You don’t like him.”
“I told you. I don’t know him.”
“Exactly! So why do you keep looking at him like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you want to fight him.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You—”
“Get in the car, Amara.”
I gasped dramatically.
“Bossy.”
“Please get in the car, Your Majesty.”
“Better.”
I opened the passenger door.
As soon as I sat down, I noticed something waiting in the cup holder.
My favourite iced coffee.
I looked at it.
Then at Kian.
He started the car.
“What?”
“You bought me coffee?”
“No.”
I held it up.
“It has my name on it.”
“Could be another Amara.”
“With my exact order?”
“Crazy coincidence.”
I smiled despite myself.
“You’re so weird.”
“Drink your coffee.”
I did.
He remembered the extra caramel.
Of course he did.
Kian remembered everything.
The little things especially.
And I had never thought much about it before.
Because that was just Kian.
But as we drove home, I found myself looking at him.
At the way one hand rested on the steering wheel.
At the tiny crease between his eyebrows when he concentrated.
At the familiar bracelet around his wrist—the stupid black one I’d given him years ago after buying matching ones at some cheap little shop.
Mine had broken ages ago.
His hadn’t.
“You’re staring.”
I quickly looked away.
“No, I’m not.”
His mouth curved.
“You literally are.”
I recognised my own words from that morning.
“Shut up.”
He laughed.
I looked out the window.
And for some reason, my face felt warmer than it should have.
KIAN
I was an idiot.
There was no nicer way to put it.
An idiot.
A complete, unbelievable idiot.
Because I was jealous.
Of Lucas Reid.
A guy I barely knew.
A guy who had done absolutely nothing wrong besides smile at Amara for longer than I thought necessary.
Which apparently was enough to make me hate him.
I glanced at her.
She was looking out the window, drinking the coffee I’d bought her.
Her hair fell over one shoulder.
The same hair I’d complimented that morning like some lovesick loser.
What was happening to me?
Actually, no.
I knew exactly what was happening.
That was the problem.
I’d known for weeks.
Maybe months.
I just hadn’t wanted to admit it.
Because admitting it changed everything.
Amara wasn’t some random girl.
She wasn’t someone I could flirt with for a few weeks, date, break up with and eventually forget.
She was my best friend.
She had been there before every girlfriend.
And after every breakup.
She knew which cereal I hated.
She knew I pretended not to care about birthdays but secretly loved when people remembered.
She knew when I was lying.
She knew when I was upset.
She knew me.
Really knew me.
And somehow, somewhere along the way, that had stopped feeling normal.
I’d started noticing things.
Her laugh.
Not that I hadn’t heard it a thousand times.
But suddenly, I wanted to be the reason for it.
I started noticing when she changed her hair.
When she wore lip gloss.
When she was tired.
When some guy looked at her.
Especially when some guy looked at her.
That last one had become a problem.
A very annoying problem.
Because Amara dated.
Of course she did.
She’d had boyfriends before.
I’d had girlfriends.
It had never bothered me.
Okay, maybe sometimes I thought her boyfriends were idiots.
But that was because they usually were.
This was different.
Now every time she mentioned a guy, something twisted inside my chest.
And I hated it.
Not because I didn’t want her happy.
I did.
That was the worst part.
I wanted her happy more than anything.
I just…
Wanted it to be with me.
“Why are you so quiet?”
Her voice pulled me back.
I glanced at her.
“What?”
“You’ve been weird all day.”
“I haven’t.”
“You have.”
“Maybe you’re the weird one.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Great comeback.”
“Thanks.”
Silence.
Then she reached over and changed the song.
“Hey.”
“This song sucks.”
“You chose it!”
“Yesterday-me had bad taste.”
“Yesterday-you was correct.”
“Today-me has evolved.”
“You don’t evolve in twenty-four hours.”
“I just did.”
She changed it again.
I changed it back.
She changed it.
I changed it.
“Kian!”
“Stop touching my radio.”
“Your music is depressing.”
“It’s good.”
“It sounds like somebody got dumped in the rain.”
“That is good music.”
She laughed.
There it was.
That stupid feeling again.
I looked at her for half a second too long.
She didn’t notice.
Thank God.
I turned back to the road.
I needed to get over this.
Quickly.
Before I ruined everything.
AMARA
Tuesday morning, Maya cornered me before class.
And when I say cornered, I mean she physically grabbed my arm and dragged me towards an empty section of the hallway.
“What?”
She stared at me.
“What?”
“You and Kian.”
I blinked.
“What about me and Kian?”
“Something is happening.”
I laughed.
“No, it isn’t.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Maya.”
“Amara.”
I sighed.
“Nothing is happening.”
“Then explain yesterday.”
“What happened yesterday?”
“He looked ready to murder Lucas.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“He absolutely did.”
“Kian doesn’t even know Lucas.”
“Exactly.”
I stared at her.
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.”
“To you, maybe.”
She grabbed my shoulders.
“My sweet, painfully oblivious friend.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Kian was jealous.”
I burst out laughing.
Actually laughing.
Maya did not.
I slowly stopped.
“You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.”
“Kian?”
“Yes.”
“Jealous?”
“Yes.”
“Of Lucas?”
“Yes!”
I stared at her.
Then laughed again.
“You’ve officially lost your mind.”
“Have I?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he come to pick you up?”
“Because he’s my friend.”
“Why did he buy you coffee?”
“Because—”
I stopped.
Maya’s eyebrows rose.
“Because?”
“Because he’s nice sometimes.”
“He knew your exact order.”
“He’s known me for years.”
“Why did he leave football practice early?”
“He said it finished early.”
“It didn’t.”
I paused.
“What?”
“My brother is on the same team.”
Oh.
“They didn’t finish early.”
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Maya smiled.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Maya, we’re friends.”
“And?”
“And friends do things for each other.”
“Absolutely.”
“Exactly.”
“But friends can also fall for each other.”
My stomach did something weird.
I ignored it.
“No.”
“You didn’t even think about it.”
“Because there’s nothing to think about.”
She sighed dramatically.
“Fine.”
“Thank you.”
“But when I’m proven right—”
“You won’t be.”
“—I expect a handwritten apology.”
“You’ll be waiting forever.”
“We’ll see.”
The bell rang.
I started walking towards class.
Maya followed.
“Just watch him.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“Today. Watch him.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t notice it.”
“Notice what?”
“The way he looks at you.”
I stopped walking.
For some reason, those words stuck.
The way he looks at you.
I shook my head.
Maya was being ridiculous.
Kian looked at me normally.
The same way he always had.
There was nothing different.
Nothing had changed.
Except once Maya said it, I couldn’t stop noticing.
In English, I caught Kian looking at me twice.
At lunch, his knee rested against mine underneath the table, and neither of us moved it.
When I complained that I was cold, he took off his hoodie and threw it at me without me asking.
All normal things.
Things he’d probably done before.
So why did they suddenly feel different?
I hated Maya.
She had planted something in my head.
And now I couldn’t get it out.
After school, we walked towards the gates together.
I was still wearing his hoodie.
It smelled like him.
Which was a strange thing to notice.
I quickly stopped thinking about it.
“You keeping that?”
Kian asked.
I looked down.
“You gave it to me.”
“Temporarily.”
“Too late. Mine now.”
“That cost eighty euros.”
“And?”
“And give it back.”
“No.”
“Amara.”
“Kian.”
He reached for it.
I jumped away.
He followed.
“Give it.”
“No!”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
I started running.
“Amara!”
I laughed as he chased me across the courtyard.
“You’re not getting it!”
“You run like a five-year-old!”
“You’re just slow!”
His hand caught the back of the hoodie.
I screamed.
“Kian!”
He pulled me backwards.
I spun around, trying to escape, and somehow ended up directly against him.
Everything stopped.
His hands were on my waist.
Mine were against his chest.
His face was close.
Too close.
My laughter disappeared.
So did his.
For one strange second, neither of us moved.
I could feel his breathing.
I could feel my own heartbeat.
And suddenly, Maya’s voice appeared in my head.
The way he looks at you.
Kian was looking at me.
But not normally.
Not like my best friend.
His eyes dropped.
Just for a second.
To my lips.
My breath caught.
Then he stepped back.
Fast.
“Keep it.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“The hoodie.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Keep it.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Neither of us spoke.
This was ridiculous.
Why was it awkward?
Kian and I were never awkward.
Ever.
I forced a laugh.
“So I won?”
He looked at me.
A small smile appeared.
“You always think you win.”
“Because I do.”
“Sure.”
I smiled.
There.
Normal.
We were normal.
Then someone called my name.
“Amara!”
I turned.
Lucas was walking towards us.
Beside me, Kian sighed.
Quietly.
But I heard it.
Lucas stopped in front of us.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
He looked at the hoodie.
Then at Kian.
Then at me.
Something amused flashed across his face.
“Are you busy Friday?”
I blinked.
“Friday?”
“Yeah.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“A few of us are going bowling. I thought maybe you’d want to come.”
“Who is ‘a few of us’?”
“People from chemistry.”
“Sure.”
Lucas smiled.
“Cool.”
Then he looked at Kian.
“You can come too, obviously.”
Kian smiled.
It was the fakest smile I’d ever seen.
“Obviously.”
Lucas walked away.
I turned towards Kian.
“You don’t have to come.”
“Oh, I’m coming.”
I laughed.
“You hate bowling.”
“I love bowling.”
“You said bowling was ‘the saddest excuse for a sport ever invented.’”
“I’ve changed.”
“Since when?”
“Just now.”
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Then I remembered Maya.
Jealous.
No.
There was no way.
Still…
I decided to test something.
“Lucas is cute.”
Kian’s expression changed.
Barely.
But it changed.
“Oh?”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t notice.”
“You definitely noticed him.”
“Not like that.”
I fought a smile.
“And he’s funny.”
“Is he?”
“Very.”
“Cool.”
“And he has nice hair.”
Kian looked at me.
“Nice hair?”
“Mhm.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means his hair is nice.”
“Looks like he got electrocuted.”
I burst out laughing.
“Kian!”
“What?”
“You’re horrible.”
“I’m honest.”
“You’re jealous.”
The words came out before I could stop them.
Silence.
Oh.
Oh no.
Kian stopped walking.
My smile slowly disappeared.
I turned towards him.
For once, he didn’t have a comeback.
He just looked at me.
Something in his expression made my stomach flip.
“Kian?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Why would I be jealous?”
His voice sounded casual.
Too casual.
I shrugged.
“I don’t know.”
“Exactly.”
He started walking again.
I followed.
But something had changed.
I could feel it.
Not enough to understand it.
Not enough to name it.
Just enough to know it was there.
KIAN
You’re jealous.
Two words.
That was all it took to nearly kill me.
I should’ve laughed.
Should’ve teased her.
Should’ve said something stupid and moved on.
Instead, I’d frozen.
Because she was right.
And apparently I was terrible at lying to her.
Friday was going to be torture.
I already knew that.
Watching Lucas flirt with her for hours while pretending I didn’t care?
Fantastic.
Exactly how I wanted to spend my evening.
But I was going.
There was absolutely no chance I was leaving them alone.
Which was pathetic.
I knew that.
I also didn’t care.
Amara walked beside me, still wearing my hoodie.
I looked at her.
She caught me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She narrowed her eyes.
Then smiled.
And there it was again.
That feeling.
That certainty.
The one I’d been trying to ignore.
I was in love with my best friend.
Not crushing.
Not curious.
Not confused.
In love.
Completely.
Hopelessly.
And she had absolutely no idea.
Maybe that was for the best.
Because Amara trusted me with everything.
Her secrets.
Her fears.
Her heartbreaks.
Her stupid late-night thoughts.
I couldn’t be another person who complicated her life.
I couldn’t risk losing her because I wanted something more.
So I would get over it.
I had to.
Even if she dated Lucas.
Even if she fell for somebody else.
Even if I had to stand beside her and pretend it didn’t destroy me.
I would stay her best friend.
That was enough.
It had to be.
“Earth to Kian.”
I blinked.
Amara was standing in front of me.
“What?”
“You walked past your car.”
I looked behind us.
My car was several metres away.
Great.
She started laughing.
“Shut up.”
“I didn’t even say anything!”
“You were going to.”
“You look so stupid.”
“Thanks.”
“Where were you even going?”
“Away from you.”
“Liar.”
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me back towards the car.
And like an idiot, I let her.
Because maybe that was the real problem.
It wasn’t just that I loved Amara.
It was that loving her felt easy.
Natural.
Like I’d been doing it long before I realised what it was.
And as she stood there laughing at me, wearing my hoodie like it belonged to her, I realised something else.
Getting over her wasn’t going to be easy.
It might actually be impossible.
END OF CHAPTER 2
