I avoided thinking about boys entirely, both Asher and Lamar. I still hadn’t untangled the mystery there, of Lamar’s black eye. Asher said he hadn’t punched Lamar, and I believed him. But I struggled to understand why Lamar would lie about it? What had he hoped to gain by lying to me? Or was it
“Tell me, Cynthia,” Lamar demanded. “Break my heart.” He wanted me to choose between him and Asher, but how could I? If it was a matter of trust, Asher won hands-down. But Asher didn’t want me romantically. If I chose Asher over Lamar, Lamar would never forgive me. He wouldn’t want to be with me
He gave me a curious, sideways glance. “Did you want me to tell people Asher attacked me? I’m trying to be considerate of you.” I wanted to believe that. It was very sweet if true. But a little voice inside me whispered, doubt. Viciously, I wondered if he kept it secret simply because no one would
Lamar was leaning in for a kiss. There had been no ask for permission. There had been no indication that he’d wanted this at all! I’d been about to say goodnight, and he was leaning in. He was almost on me, when I recovered from my shock enough to turn my head. His lips pressed against my cheek in
“Me, too,” I said. With one last bright smile, he said goodnight and hobbled down the hall. Quickly, I rushed and hid in my dorm room. I wasn’t as tired anymore, and knew I wouldn’t sleep even if I tried. I had to talk to someone about what just happened. I couldn’t keep it inside, I thought I
The next morning, I dedicated entirely to my studies. I had finally made it through the entirety of one of my textbooks. Tabs and highlights marred every single page. Though I surely didn’t remember everything I had read, I felt confident in my general level of knowledge on the subject. The practi
He glanced around us. Then he said, “The investigators are still going through the lab. She has so many files, which is good for us. She’s smart, too. From the start, she’s been planting false leads in case something like this might happen.” “But they have…” I lowered my voice. “My blood.” “That
After the game, I waited by the locker room for Lamar. I didn’t know what I would say, how I would explain why I was standing so close to Asher. But I had to tell him something, even if it was just another apology that he would make fun of. Unfortunately, the first person outside the locker room