[BOOK2]
Friendship built their world. Love will break it open. ❤️
*****
I want her.
I want her more than I've ever wanted anything.
But I can't have her. Because the moment I admit that out loud, the moment I risk everything we've built, I could lo...
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The cold air slammed into me the second we stepped out of the locker room, but it did nothing to cool me down. My blood was still boiling; my hands still curled into fists that ached to connect with Jake's face again. Every step across the quad was a battle not to turn around, storm back in, and wipe that smug, taunting grin off him for good.
Lewis stayed silent, his palm firm at the small of my back like he thought I might break free and charge right back inside. He wasn't wrong. The anger was crawling under my skin, sharp and restless, and the more I replayed his words, the more I wanted to hit him.
We didn't slow down until we hit the parking lot. He unlocked a black Jeep with one sharp click, opening the passenger door for me like it wasn't a choice.
I climbed in, still gripping the strap of my bag, still replaying every second of what just happened.
Lewis rounded the hood and slid into the driver's seat, starting the engine without looking at me.
"How'd you know I was there?" I asked, breaking the silence before it got too loud in my head.
"Becca texted me." His eyes flicked to mine, brief but sharp. "Told me everything."
I froze. "Everything?"
"Yeah, Isa,"
"Fucking hell," I mutter.
He smirked. "Told me to catch you before you did something stupid. Didn't believe her until I saw you punch Jake—dumb idea, by the way."
"It was a great idea," I shot back, crossing my arms.
"Yeah? Not with that form." He reached over, catching my hand before I could pull away. "Your knuckles are sore because you didn't punch properly, dumbass."
I winced, snatching it back. "Asshole."
Lewis huffed out a laugh, shifting into reverse. "Uh-huh. And now I'm taking you to Theo's."
My head whipped toward him. "What? No. That's—"
"Exactly what you're doing," he cut in, pulling onto the main road. "And before you start with the excuses, let me just say—breaking up with Theo? Stupidest move I've seen in a while. And I watch a lot of stupid happen around here."
I let out a sharp breath, my shoulders lifting before I turned toward him. "What was I meant to do? I had no choice." The words came out low but tight, my fingers knotting together in my lap.
"You had a choice," he said, eyes fixed on the road. "What, you think you're some tragic heroine who has to set herself on fire to keep everyone else warm?"
"It wasn't about me," I bit out.
"Exactly," he shot back. "You keep making it about Theo without actually letting Theo decide. You didn't even give him the chance to fight for himself."
