- He had to see her.
- After she blocked his number, he hadn’t
- reached out.
- He’d been sulking, trying to teach her a
- lesson.
- But he was the one who’d caved.
- He’d called her, giving her an easy way back.
- And that other guy had answered.
- That casual intimacy in his voice…
- He knew Sarah was shy, conservative. She
- L
- wouldn’t fall for some random guy at
- Northwood.
- Mia had said Sarah was just trying to make
- him jealous.
- But now the SATS were over, and Sarah had
- vanished.
- He went to Sarah’s building. The light was on
- in her window. He felt a surge of relief.
- He knocked.
- Someone opened the door.
- 19.
- He plastered a smile on his face.
- “Mrs. Miller, I’m looking for Sar-”
- The words died in his throat.
- A middle–aged couple, strangers, stood there
- in their pajamas.
- “Who are you? Why are you at Sarah’s
- house?”
- The woman frowned.
- “What Sarah? This is our house.”
- <
- His face paled.
- “But… this is Mr. Miller’s house.”
- The man thought for a moment.
- “You mean the previous owners?”
- “Previous owners?”
- “Yeah, we bought this place like three months
- ago.”
- “Where are they? Where did they move?”
- “Beats me.”
- They closed the door in his face.
- Jake stood there, stunned.
- Sarah moved? How could he not know?
- Why didn’t she tell him where she was going?
- Was she never coming back?
- He fumbled for his phone, needing to call his
- mom and figure this out. A notification
- popped up.
- A text from his best friend.
- “Check Sarah’s Instagram.”
- “She’s official with someone.”
- <
- Jake clicked on Sarah’s profile.
- She barely used social media, so even though
- she’d blocked his number, her profile was still
- visible.
- The latest post was a picture of her with a
- guy.
- The guy was wearing a white button–down
- shirt and black slacks, his dark hair messy
- and rebellious.
- He was looking down at Sarah, who wore a
- white sundress.
- They stood beneath a sprawling oak tree,
- looking impossibly perfect together.
- The caption:
- [What my puppy wanted me to post.]
- 20.
- Ethan dropped me off at my building.
- I’d fallen asleep in the car.
- “Babe, we’re here.”
- I opened my eyes, the dim glow of the
- streetlights highlighting the sharp line of
- Ethan’s jaw, the subtle bob of his Adam’s
- apple.
- Without thinking, I leaned in and kissed his
- throat.
- His body tensed, his breath hitching.
- A moment later, I realized what I’d done and
- pulled away, leaving a faint red mark on his
- skin.
- His eyes were dark and intense, like he was
- about to devour me.
- I suddenly remembered a post I’d read online.
- Teenage boys, especially at eighteen and
- nineteen, are full of hormones they can’t
- control.
- Play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.
- I flung the car door open and jumped out,
- making a run for the building.
- Ethan was right behind me, catching my hand
- and pulling me back.
- <
- His eyes were still smoldering.
- “Ethan, what are you doing?”
- He stared at me, silent.
- Then, he lowered his head and pressed a kiss
- to the sensitive skin of my neck, just below
- my ear.
- “Tit for tat.”
- He let me go.
- I turned to leave, and a voice, rough with
- emotion, called my name.
- “Sarah.”
- 21.
- I turned to see Jake standing under the
- streetlight, his face pale and drawn.
- His eyes were red–rimmed.
- He walked towards me.
- “We need to talk.”
- I hadn’t expected to see him again. After my
- dad quit Evans Enterprises, we’d moved,
- severing all ties.
- <
- I sighed.
- “There’s nothing to talk about.”
- I turned to go inside.
- He stepped forward, his voice pleading.
- “Please, Sarah. Just a few minutes?”
- “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I made you transfer to
- Northwood before the SATs.”
- “Mia and I broke up. I just… I thought you
- wouldn’t leave. It was just a stupid fling.”
- “We never really even dated. It’s over between
- us.”
- “Can we just… go back to how things were?
- Please, come back.”
- 22.
- Jake had always had an arrogant streak.
- I’d never seen him like this, so desperate and
- vulnerable.
- “We can’t go back, Jake.”
- I didn’t want to hear any more excuses.
- I tugged on Ethan’s sleeve.
- く
- He looked down at me and ruffled my hair
- gently.
- “Go on up. I’ll be right behind you.”
- I nodded and hurried inside.
- I heard Jake try to follow, but Ethan stopped
- him.
- The sounds of a scuffle reached me.
- I didn’t stop.
- The boy who could take on ten guys in an
- alley? I wasn’t worried.
- I heard snippets of their conversation.
- “Who the hell do you think you are?”
- “I grew up with Sarah! We’re childhood
- sweethearts!”
- Ethan’s voice, cold and flat.
- “Oh.”
- “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m her
- boyfriend now.”
- “As for ‘childhood sweethearts,‘ Sarah and
- 1…”
- <
- The elevator doors closed, cutting off the
- rest.
- 23.
- Jake didn’t say any more.
- His lip was split and bleeding.
- The kid packed a mean punch.
- He heard Sarah call Ethan from her
- apartment.
- Her voice, soft and worried.
- “Are you okay?”
- It finally hit him. Sarah was truly gone.
- He remembered one time, after getting into a
- fight, he’d gone to Sarah’s, afraid of his
- mom’s lecture.
- Sarah had carefully cleaned his cuts with a
- cotton swab.
