Pepper never meant to lose her best friend. Lucas never meant to fall in love.
Yet the aftermath of broken hearts leads them to blur the lines of their friendship forever. When Pepper is dumped by her boyfriend and Lucas is led on by his crush, they...
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REMORSE HAS FAILED to reach me since the fall of Pepper and Mason's relationship. It's cruel, really. I've spent the past twenty minutes trying and failing to feel something other than this satisfying relief. Should I feel bad? Guilty that a part of me is relieved that Mason is stepping out of her life? Relieved that she'll spend more time with me again? Overjoyed that our conversations will no longer end up being about the boy who thinks he deserves all of her time?
I can't bear to endure Pepper's pain, but Mason vanishing from our lives is some sort of miracle.
I trudge out of the theatre region of the school and back to the main building. A quick look around the barren halls lands my gaze right on them, standing before the cafeteria doors. Mason leans in and kisses Pepper's forehead.
Annoyance twists every muscle in my face.
His mouth moves slowly as he pulls away, and Pepper's very existence deflates beneath his words. When the bell rings and releases a barrage of students onto their breakup session, he manages to slip away, leaving her alone once again.
Just stay away from her.
With his unwanted presence gone, I'm free to approach Pepper before her spirit can fully be expelled. Her petite frame blends amongst the throngs of passing students. Distracted bodies brush past me, reducing my pace to reach her. A mere second of my attention breaking to excuse a girl for bumping into me is enough time to look up and watch Pepper vanish out the building.
Shit.
Every muscle in my body grows taut, dead set on sneaking out of school with her. But rounding the corner sends me straight into the path of a giggle that resonates, so tantalizing, within my memories. It teases the air and dangles the allure of her right before me.
Shards of torture rip through my chest. Lead weighs my limbs to the earth. Amber's voice is followed by a deeper one. My limbs lock, robbing me of the opportunity to flee before her and Elliot waltz out of the cafeteria.
I lower my gaze, hoping to avoid their attention. Mistake. I find their hands locked instead.
Elliot is the first to notice me and the guy smiles. An actual smile spreads across his freckled face. Every molecule of my existence is fiery and ablaze. He can't be oblivious to how much he aggravates me. Does he know that he's stolen the one girl I've always wanted and never had a million times?
Amber freezes. Forest eyes, where the softest shades of greens swirl and mingle, widen and stare right at me. "Lucas," she says as if she's run out of breath. She drops Elliot's hand, but it doesn't erase the image burning in my brain.
She's picking him again. She's going to end it before it even starts.
When it becomes clear that I won't reply - can't reply - she presses her palm to Elliot's chest and turns her head so that he can lean down and hear her whispers. Perhaps something along the lines of This loser still has a crush on me. Let me handle it.
