Page 19 (2/2)

"Give me a ride?"

My jaw instantly hardened as frustration threatened to boil over into rage

I didn’t even have to turn around to knoas Piper

She was the last thing on my mind these days, and I wished she’d take the hint and back off

But then I re

"Don’t talk" I spun around and grabbed her hand without even looking at her and dragged her to the nearest bathroom I needed to burn off frustration and Piper knew the score She was like water She assumed the shape of whatever container held her She didn’t challenge

It was after school The place was eht her down on top ofcare who she here I was, or that anyone could walk in on us I needed to dive deep So deep into a cave that I couldn’t even hear hts That I couldn’t even see her blonde hair and blue eyes in an and attacked her ood It wasn’t etting even

I grabbed the straps of her tank top and pulled the sat at her waist Her chest was free forhurt if I knew I had you

I was trying to run fro up with ainsther to be so er wanted a home in my body, and I couldn’t calrinding onto find the escape Trying to find my control

And ripped Piper’s ass and attacked her neck She ain and said some shit, but I couldn’t hear it There was only one voice into drown out

I loved all of those things, and I loved you

And then I stopped

All the air had left me

Tate had loved me

I didn’t know if it was the look in her tear-filled eyes or the tone of her voice, or ood as anyone But I knew she’d told the truth

She had loved me

"What’s the matter, baby?" Piper had her arms aroundbreathing into her chest, trying to delude

"Jared What’s with you? You’ve been acting weird ever since the school year started" Her whiny-ass fking voice Why didn’t people ever knohen to shut up?

I ran et up I’ll take you honoring me for a month Over a month, actually!" She pulled her shirt and sweater back on, but she still wasn’t

I took a deep breath and tried to sn the nerves exploding inher with a look that said ‘take it or leave it’ Piper knew better than to ask questions I didn’t tell Madoc shit, and I wasn’t going to start with this girl

By the tione fro Piper off, I just drove I needed to listen to soet rid of this ache in my chest

I wanted to blame Tate Turn a blind eye like I always did when she was hurting

But I couldn’t Not this ti froirl to distract o back to that day in the park Back to the fish pond when I’d first decided that she needed to hurt I would’ve done it differently

Instead of pushing her away, I would’ve buriedone She wouldn’t have had to say or do anything Just fill er ran deeper than ht now, I couldn’t face what I’d done I couldn’t face that she hatedto do withme of what a loser I was

Fuck it Fuck them all

I walked into my house, slammed the door and threw my keys across the room The place was as quiet as a church, except for Mad atfor attention

"Not now, buddy," I snipped and walked into the kitchen Mad As I yanked open the refrigerator, I noticed that ht Order a pizza Love you!

And I slaripped both sides of the refrigerator and pressed my head into the stainless steel It didn’twas okay I had shitty parents, but who didn’t? I’d pushed Tate away, but there were other girls out there I had no idea what the fk I was going to do with hteen

Everything Was Fine