Matt called me the next evening, his voice more subdued than usual. Only a day had gone by since I’d last seen him, but I missed him, anyway. My heart jumped in my chest at his tone, fear spreading through my veins. Everything between us was still so unsure. I couldn’t help but imagine it collapsing around me again, leaving me even more heartbroken than I was the last time. Our date yesterday was amazing, but I couldn’t help but feel like I’d somehow done something wrong.“Everything okay?” I finally asked, pacing the length of my room.The sound of the TV drifted up the stairs, and I could hear the ins-and-outs of the game even with my door closed. Jack and his friends we spread over the couches, watching hockey, and drinking beer. I had to go downstairs soon to get their dinner ready, not wanting to anger Jack when he was finally letting me be with Matt.“What do you mean?”“You sound tired,” I ventured, afraid I might inadvertently start a fight. Hopefully, he took it for what it w

“Did something happen?” Matt repeated, his smile fading.After winning a tough game, Matt should have been celebrating, not dealing with my issues. It didn’t matter that I saw Alyx before the game. I knew mentioning it would just upset him, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.Fiona gave me a pointed look, but I ignored her. I didn’t want him to worry. He couldn’t do anything about Alyx. “No reason, we just found good seats over in the other section,” I said.Fiona’s disapproving gaze was like a brand, and, of course, Matt notic

After class ended the next day, I found myself blocked from leaving the room by Alyx’s tall frame. He had a smile on his face, but it seemed forced.“Hey, can we talk?” he asked.A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to him. I couldn’t stop feeling his hands all over me, and how he wouldn’t let go, no matter how hard I resisted. The thought of what might have happened if Matt hadn’t shown up made me feel sick.“I have nothing to say,” I muttered, stepping around him. His brow furrowed, but he d

Matt was waiting for me when I got out of class, leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed. He had on a pair of gray track pants and a form-fitting black t-shirt. He must have been at the gym or practice because his hair was still wet from the shower.His face brightened when our eyes met. “Hey,” he said, walking over to me.“Hey.” I couldn’t help but stare a little. He looked good like this, and not for the first time, I wondered what he was doing with me. Matt had to be one of the best-looking guys at our school, by far. I could see girls and guys alike sending him covert glances as they walked by.“Ready for lunch?” he asked, his eyes roving over my face.If he noticed people looking at him, he didn’t give any indication.“Yeah, ready.”Matt took my books from me and started down the hall. I hurried to catch up with him. “You don’t have to carry those.”He flashed me a grin. “I know.” I reached to take them back, but he didn’t hand them to me. “I want to.”“Oh.” I felt my

I wiped off the counters for the second time, sweating glistening on my forehead. Jack wanted me to deep-clean the kitchen, so here I was, cleaning it for the millionth time in the last week. It wasn’t a very original punishment, but I figured it could be worse. He hadn’t mentioned my lunch date with Matt, and I was hoping I’d be allowed to go out again soon. He couldn’t keep me locked in the house forever.Eventually, Jack had to realize I was an adult and that I could make my own decisions. Matt wasn’t going anywhere. The more time we spent together, the less I could fathom ever being apart. I knew I should be more careful, that my heart was still a fragile thing, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself from falling for him more and more.Jack and his friends were in the living room, drinking beer and playing video games. I had no idea what game they were playing, but they were really getting into it. At one point, they were even shouting at the screen.It looked fun, but I’d never been