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Hearthbreak

Her

I walked home with shock still disturbing my throat. I still couldn't believe that I had asked him if I could sit with him and join him for lunch tomorrow. My cheeks warmed with my sudden blush and I felt embarrassed. Had I looked obsessed?

Butterflies ate away at my stomach as I opened the front door, finding a note taped to the kitchen counter. Rick would be working late tonight, and I was instructed to not wait up. Not like I ever did.

With a sigh, I put my backpack down before making myself a sandwich to eat in my room.

The next morning, I woke up with a flutter of butterflies that reminded me of my lunch plans. The bags under my eyes did nothing to hide the fact that the nerves kept me up all night.

It was just lunch. At school. I scowled at myself in the mirror, not understanding the panic rushing through me. I wasn’t even this nervous when I went on my first date with Micah.

With a slow exhale, I made my way down the stairs, rolling my eyes at the sight of Rick passed out on the couch. He still wore his uniform and an unexpected anger rushed through me.

“Mom would have left you even if you hadn’t cheated,” I whispered, opening the door to leave.

The couch creaked under his movement and I caught his tired eyes looking at me just as the door closed behind me. I hadn’t wanted him to hear it, I just needed the anger to get out of me, and my mouth seemed like the perfect outlet.

I walked to school with a pang of guilt in chest, but it all disappeared when I walked into the building and everyone’s eyes seemed to follow me. With a frown, I wrapped my arms around myself and walked faster to my locker, only to freeze in my steps when Liz stood in front of hers.

Of course. She had traded her locker with some random kid at the beginning of the year. It was a great idea at first, and now all I wanted to do was run and hide.

She turned around as silence surrounded us in the hallways, sending me a soft smile. My stomach twisted painfully and I decided that I didn’t need anything from my locker for my first class, taking off in a fast walk.

“Oof,” I bumped into someone, large hands cupping my waist.

I looked up and my cheeks burned with a blush when Kian stood in front of me, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat and his hair poking the top of his eyes.

“S-sorry, Kian.”

“You okay?” His voice was guff.

His fingers found their way way under my shirt, pressing soft circles across my skin. He tilted his head, trying to read the look on my face, but all I could do was focus on hiding the way his touch made me feel.

A sudden heat came alive at the pit of my stomach, fed by the warmth of his hands. I nodded, but his eyes caught movement behind me and he grunted with a soft nod.

“Want to spend the day hidden in the library?”

I frowned, surprise taking over as I looked over my shoulder to spot Liz eyeing us with a frown. We had signed up for classes together, meaning I had most of them with her and the thought of having to face her every hour made me want to throw up.

I looked back at Kian, who only lifted an eyebrow in question. My teeth raked across my bottom lip, his eyes catching the movement. A new flutter of uncontrollable heat flashed through me, making his touch feel as if it was burning my skin.

I nodded eagerly, now noticing that all eyes were on us. Kian scowled, looking around the hallway and finally the soft whispers of conversation reached my ears. His hands left my waist and I could finally breath again, though it was short lived as his hand returned to the small of my back, pushing me to walk with him.

“Umm- I’ve never skipped class before,” I whispered as we neared the entrance to the library. I looked up at him, eyeing the small smirk that lifted the corner of his lip.

“I know.”

“Y-you do?” I questioned as he opened the door, pushing me through as he followed.

“Yeah, but don’t worry,” He reached into his back pocket and placed a cigarette on his lips, “You’re with a pro.”

The smile on his lips died when he caught the look on my eyes and shook his head.

“I won’t light it.”

I gave him a short nod and he walked me through the shelves filled with books, leading me to the study room in the back corner. I was suddenly nervous. Nervous about skipping class, but also nervous about being here with Kian.

We had only talked in class, or in the cafeteria, this suddenly seemed too intimate. But it wasn’t. We were in a study room, where I had been with friends multiple times. Why did this feel so different all of a sudden?

I flinched when I felt the weight of my backpack lifted from my shoulders.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I let him maneuver the bag so I could take my arms out of the straps.

“Sorry, I was- was just thinking.”

“Mmm.” He nodded, placing my bag on the back of a chair, sitting down next to it and placing his bag on the table.

He watched me with fucking mesmerizing green eyes, the light from the ceiling reflecting off of them. He jerked his neck to the side, moving the hair that covered his eyes.

I sat next to him, suddenly aware of the warmth his body radiated. I crossed my legs together, not used to the feeling of butterflies flying so low in my stomach.

His eyes followed the length of my body, his jaw clenching when he reached my legs. He cleared his throat and brought his eyes back to mine, letting them focus on my lips for a moment.

I could feel my chest constrict, though I threw away the thought that he could find me attractive. Maybe I had something in my teeth? I was definitely not his type, and he was definitely out of my league. I ran my tongue across my teeth as I leaned back on my chair and sighed.

“Was this the first time you had seen her since-?” He didn’t finish the question, though I knew what he was getting at.

“No. She was was my house yesterday.”

He lifted an eyebrow, the one with the white streak, “Your house?” He huffed, leaning his head on the back of his chair, “Well, if she had the guts to show up at your house, I’m sure showing up at school was a walk in the park.” I chuckled at that and he lifted his head to watch me with a mirroring smile, “It’ll get better.”

“You know this?” He nodded at my question, “So you’ve been through heartbreak?”

He tensed slightly but pressed his lips together, “A different kind of heartbreak, but heartbreak nonetheless.”

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