Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
A small grin pulls at my lips at her mention of our ongoing punchline where I tell her I’m busy with schoolwork just to get out of attending ridiculous parties. “No, I had to drop by the student office,” I tell her, hesitating to tell her about my run-in with Noah. “There umm . . . There was an issue with my class schedule that I needed to get fixed up.”
She narrows her gaze on me, and I shift my stare to the students passing, hoping she doesn’t try to delve deeper into this. Just like Noah, Tarni has always been able to see right through me, knowing exactly when I’m being untruthful. Or perhaps I’m just a really bad liar.
“So,” Abby says, glancing down the hallway. “Have you seen him yet?”
“Seen who?” I ask, my stomach doing flips.
Abby’s eyes widen, and I watch as excitement flashes through them, assuming she gets to be the one to break the news about Noah attending East View. “Holy shit! You haven’t heard yet?” she gasps. “Noah Ryan is transferring here. It’s supposedly his first day, but I don’t think anyone has actually seen him yet. I overheard these girls outside saying they doubt he’s even coming, and I mean . . . if that’s true, my heart is going to break. I’ve been crushing on him so hard ever since I saw him play against East View two years ago. He’s so freaking hot.”
Well, shit. That’s going to be fun to deal with.
“He’s definitely coming. Right, Zo?” Tarni says, stepping in a little closer, and at the confused looks on Abby’s and Cora’s faces, Tarni goes on. “Don’t you remember? Zoey and Noah used to be like . . . bestest friends. Their moms hang out all the time.”
Her use of our old saying bestest friends makes it feel dirty, and I do what I can to hide the disdain creeping through my chest.
“Oh shit,” Cora says. “I completely forgot about that. You guys used to be like really close, huh?”
“Something like that,” I tell them, desperately wishing to change the topic, but something tells me that Noah Ryan is going to be the center of attention until he finally graduates and gets his ass out of here. I’m going to have to get used to it.
“So, then he’s definitely coming to East View?” Abby confirms.
I nod. “Yep. At least, that’s what his mom told me last night.”
“Holy shit,” Cora says with a dreamy expression. “You’re so freaking lucky. You were talking to his mom! You have a direct line to Noah Ryan. Does that mean his family is always at your place and shit like that? You have to introduce us.”
Ugh. I couldn’t think of anything worse.
I’m just about to tell them where they can shove their introduction when the hallway erupts with excited gasps and shrieks. A path forms right down the center like the Red Sea parting for East View’s newest celebrity.
My stomach twists into knots, and as the girls shuffle forward, trying to get just a glance at the famous Noah Ryan, I find myself shrinking back against my locker, trying to hide behind the crowd. But I sense him there, and I hold my breath, preparing for another blow.
This is too much. I can’t live my life terrified of seeing his face.
It hurts too much.
My breath comes in hard pants, anxiety gripping my throat and squeezing as my gaze follows the movement of the crowd. Eager bystanders try to peer around one another, but I remain braced against my locker. The bell for homeroom sounds through the halls, yet no one seems to make a move.
My hands start to shake and then finally, there’s a break in the crowd and I see him.
Noah Ryan. My Noah Ryan.
It’s still so surreal seeing him after all this time, and even after seeing him in the student office this morning, my world is rocked again. I catch my breath, my whole body burning from the inside out as I feel him, that invisible string between us pulsing with the fiercest electricity. We’ve always been tethered together, and no amount of distance is ever going to change that.
He doesn’t look at me, but I know he feels me here. How could he not? How could he possibly deny something so raw and pure? I know he might hate me right now. He might be desperate to push me away and watch his world burn to ashes around him, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he still loves me. He will always love me, and no matter how hard he tries, he will never be able to escape it.
Our souls formed an impenetrable bond the day we first met, and since then, it’s only gotten stronger. The more he tries to deny it, the more he hurts us both. But something tells me it’s that pain he craves. Right now, feeling the pain is the only thing keeping him breathing.