Broken (Brown Eyed Boy book 2)

Worth the Wait (Carlos POV)

Jessie wasn't there when we got to the park and for a few minutes I started to think that either we had missed her or she decided after she got off the phone that she wouldn't go. But then as I was sitting on the swing next to Cassie's, just barely moving back and forth, I saw her walking down the street on the opposite side of the gate. She was looking in like she didn't know what she was going to do and then her eyes found us and I could swear that for a second she stopped where she was and just stared before she pushed herself to move forward again. As she came into the area with the swings, Cassie jumped off of hers and ran at Jessie, hugging her immediately. It reminded me so much of how things used to be that for a moment I saw myself walking over to her and kissing her and calling her beautiful for the millionth time. And then I remembered that things weren't like they used to be, and Jessie didn't know we were together and I couldn't just go up to her and do that. I had to sit where I was, hoping that she wouldn't feel so awkward around me that she would leave.

            “Hey,” I said lightly, smiling as friendly as I could considering I felt broken inside.

            “Hi,” Jessie said, smiling back. It was the same shy smile she gave me when we first met and I had to bite down on my tongue not to say that. Start brand new, I told myself. Make her trust me again.

            “Loco, I'm going to go play with the other kids,” Cassie said, lacking all subtlety. “Bye!” She ran to the playground set and instantly started playing with kids who she probably knew from class.

            Jessie watched Cassie go and stood where she was awkwardly, obviously not sure of what to do now that our median was gone. She tried to avoid looking at me, but somehow her eyes always came back to land on me. “You can sit on the swing, you know,” I said. “Promise I won't bite.” Jessie's smile grew wider slightly and I felt mine do the same in response. She sat on the swing next to me and looked down at her sneakers as she started pushing herself back and forth. “So, how have you been?”

            “Fine, I guess,” she said quietly without looking at me.

            “You're lying,” I said without thinking and instantly regretting. I was so used to calling her out on things that it was second nature to me but now I was worried that the habit had ruined her speaking to me for the rest of the day.

            “What?” she said in surprise as her head popped up to look at me.

            “I'm sorry,” I said. “I didn't mean to say it like that.”

            “Then how did you mean to say it?”

            “I just-” I paused and sighed. “I just meant that you weren't being honest about how you felt. You're not fine right now and you haven't been for a while.”

            “And what makes you think that?” she asked, not sounding angry at all. I looked at her and saw honest curiosity on her face.

            “It's like I said before,” I said quietly. “We were best friends. I knew you better than a lot of people.”