A fresh start is exactly what London McLaren needs in order to forget the demons of her past. A new last name, a new town and a new school.
She's about to start her final year of high school, ready to obey her parent's orders to keep her head down a...
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Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
"Since when do you sit at the back of the class, Hall?"
I'd been dreading this moment all morning. I'd hoped that if I had arrived early to maths that everyone else would arrive before Harry.
I'd been wrong.
Despite the class being half full, there were still five more minutes until the final bell would ring and Harry was already here, standing in front of me.
"Needed a change," I shrug, shifting my eyes away as he takes a seat next to me.
I'd been having trouble looking Harry in the eye lately. Since my truthful encounter with Mrs Thornbury, I've been having trouble talking to anyone.
My hands begin to shake and I clasp them together in an attempt to cover my nerves.
My brother had killed Liam. How was I supposed to live with myself every day, knowing that Harry was grieving someone I should have tried harder to save?
Harry's hand lands on mine and I flinch.
"Hey," he says.
I can't look at him. I can't meet his kind eyes.
"You're shaking."
"Just cold," I say, pulling my sleeves over my hands.
He doesn't buy my bullshit. He leans over, pushing my desk closer to his so that they touch.
"What's going on with you?"
"Nothing," I blurt.
"Come on," he prompts, "You've been different since the day you ran off from the fundraiser."
"I wasn't feeling well then," I whisper.
Our teacher walks in, greeting the class before turning to the board.
I start to copy the equations down as they are being written but Harry isn't paying attention to the front at all.
"You're not being honest with me," he whispers, sounding genuinely hurt.
My pencil stops midair, my fingers shaking. I turn in my chair, briefly meeting his gorgeous eyes before returning my attention to the front.
"I'm sorry, Harry. It just became too much that day," I say, honestly.
He doesn't respond for a moment and my breathing starts to return to normal.
"The person who you lost...were they murdered too?"
I can feel the bile slowly curdling in my stomach. I never thought that he'd ask a question like that.
I shake my head vigorously. I can't seem to stop, not even when the tears begin to pool in the corner of my eyes.
