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I tilt ht"

He smiles crookedly at me "I’m not what they’d call balanced"

"Who’s they?"

"I don’t know," he shrugs "Everyone My mom, dad, sister, cousins, and other people who knowto fall apart, especially after what happened" He lifts the a

Peter sets the glass down His eyes don’t focus onelse It’s like he’s lost in athe stuff for Christmas We went to Radio City and then to dinner Afterward, it was late She was ready to leave, but I wanted to go to Rockefeller Center I wanted to get down on one knee under the tree and ask her to marry me"

He smiles It nearly breaks my heart I know that s that should have been happy but didn’t turn out that way I feel the weight of his story, the way he can barely say the words He coughs and his eyes flick toI was so excited I couldn’t wait to ask her I didn’t want to coht, when the tree was lit Gina loved Christet there and the place is pretty e at the tree, I pulled out the ring There were some people on the other side of the tree, but they couldn’t see us I kneeled and held up the ring" He breathes hard The lines in his forehead crease I can see the pain of thisnoant hi him I want to reach out and take his hand, but I’m frozen

Peter looks up at me His smile twists "You’re better at this than me I’ve had a year to deal with this, but I still can’t even say it"

"Peter…" I say his nauy just told s when you aren’t ready"

He laughs once, hard It uy’s usually an ass, or so I hear" He glances up at me from under dark lashes

The corners of ht He is an ass, a totally sweet, thoughtful ass The best kind of ass really" I’htly as I say it

"Ah, your attelass in oodtakes time It’s not the same for everyone It doesn’t happen at the same rate"

"Tell that to my family"

"Screw your fauys You do You understand what happened and what it did to you Talk about it when you’re ready Move on when you’re ready" I finish ive advice than it is to take it, huh?" Peter watches me for a moment His eyes sweep over my face, and rest on our hands Mine pal and flinch "Sorry" I try to pull my hand away, but Peter takes it and holds on

"I’ht kiss across my skin It makes me shiver He looks up and smiles at me "We’re trapped in the middle, you know We’re not in the friend zone, but we can’t move forward"

I slip ood spot to be A better spot than I’ve been in for a long tiuy that I don’t know I’ I don’t want to do For the ht survive this with my mind intact Hope floods my chest, and alltime, I think I’ll be okay

CHAPTER 14

At lunch a few days later, I grab a salad, some baked chicken, and sit down next to Tia Millie hasn’t coives ht I’m not as sore today, but it still sucks" She plays with her fruit plate, poking the cottage cheese "Screw this I’ht back" Tia’s face scrunches as she stands Her hand flies to her stoet a plate of chicken

For a second, I’m alone I hear his voice before I see his face "Hey, sweetheart," Dusty says, and slides in next to lance at hi what kind of crazy sauce he ate to sit down next to me in here He leans in and lowers his voice "There are so around about you" He looks delighted His eyes sweep over

What the hell? He irritates me, like seriously annoysat hiht you manners? Give me your phone" I set down my fork and hold out my palm I thrust it at hirins and pulls out his phone "That’s pretty ht has everyone thinking you’re knocked up and that the pretty professor did it"